As the crisis rages on, the world is in desperate need of coronavirus relief. There’s a shortage of masks, ventilators, and hand sanitizer, all essential medical supplies needed to continue battling this virus. The good news is, several major brands are pitching in to help in various ways to mitigate the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
The Alcohol Industry
Remember when Tito’s Vodka had to take to social media to warn us about the dangers of using liquor as a hand sanitizer? Now they’ve taken things a large step forward. The brand is now repurposing its distillery to produce 24 tons of hand sanitizer that really will work.
The vodka company will give away this sanitizer for free to those who need it most. The process will take several weeks, and the company is leaving the door open to make more if needed.
The Car Industry
It’s not just the alcohol industry stepping up to help. Ford, Tesla, and General Motors are all making factories available for producing medical supplies. Demand for new cars is understandably slowing down, so while factories are not seeing as much action as usual, these major car companies are using resources to help produce essential gear for medical workers.
The car industry is doing its part by starting to manufacture powered air-purifying respirator masks. These masks protect medical workers by filtering the air they breathe.
Another major task these car companies are taking on is manufacturing simplified ventilators. Ford is offering its assistance to the GE medical department manufacturing as many ventilators as possible. Little details are available on how this will happen, or how quickly, but ventilators are in short supply and the situation will only become more dire as more Americans become infected.
The Tech Industry
Silicon Valley tech companies don’t necessarily have the factory facilities needed to produce ventilators, but they’re still doing what they can. Apple, Facebook, and Tesla are all donating thousands of surplus N95 masks to healthcare workers in California and across the country.
The Music Industry
The music industry also doesn’t have factories or material resources to make masks or ventilators, but that doesn’t mean they can’t help. MusiCares is the Recording Academy’s non-profit organization. They just established a COVID-19 Relief Fund to support “music people” in need. Amazon Music, Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube Music all made donations to the fund.
The Fashion Industry
Major fashion brands are also grinding to a halt and repurposing factories and skills for coronavirus relief. LVMH and L’Oreal began using cosmetics factories to produce hand sanitizer for medical facilities. Estee Lauder is now also using one of its cosmetics factories in Melville, NY to follow suit and produce sanitizing products for medical professionals.
Designer Christian Siriano also started a trend in fashion and coronavirus relief efforts. Following his lead, some designers and clothing companies are starting to produce surgical masks instead of luxury apparel. The former CEO of American Apparel, Dov Charney is using his new company to produce masks in Los Angeles.
