It’s Not All Bad. Here’s Proof.

We did something different with today’s newsletter, highlighting some of the more heartening things we’ve seen in the past few weeks, as the world mobilizes against the coronavirus pandemic. Send us your examples, stay safe and be well. (Want this in your inbox each morning? Sign up here.)

What companies are doing

Apparel companies are retooling to make masks and other protective garments. Factories that churn out T-shirts in the Carolinas. A company in Pennsylvania that makes uniforms for baseball teams. European luxury brands like Prada and Gucci. Across the world, clothing manufacturers are converting their workshops to produce much-needed medical equipment.

The production of ventilators and N95 respirators is particularly critical, and some deep-pocketed companies, like Apple, Facebook and Salesforce, are using their clout to source supplies. Ford, G.M. and Tesla are also tapping their supply chains and looking into building ventilators to send to hospitals. (Though admittedly, coordination among the state, local and federal governments in directing these efforts could be much better.)

Tech companies are donating their huge computing power to crunch data in the search for a cure. A consortium including Amazon, Google, IBM and Microsoft was recently formed to enlist their supercomputers in making calculations and modeling scenarios for the spread of the disease.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/business/dealbook/coronavirus-company-stories.html