Daily Business Report-April 3, 2020
Researchers want to broaden the number of subjects to make sure they are capturing a representative sample of the U.S. population. (Illustration credit: UC San Diego)
Creating an early alert system for COVID-19
Researchers combine power of wearable device and big data analytics to track spread and early signs of infection—including among health care workers
by Ioana Patringenaru | UC San Diego
To better understand early signs of coronavirus and the virus’ spread, physicians around the country and data scientists at UC San Diego are working together to use a wearable device to monitor more than 12,000 people, including thousands of healthcare workers. The effort is already underway at hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area and at the University of West Virginia.
Based on early data analysis, the researchers seem able to predict whether someone is getting sick; whether it’s going to be mild or severe; and potentially whether the illness is specifically COVID-19. But they want to broaden the number of subjects to make sure they are capturing a representative sample of the U.S. population.
“Our first push is to get as many people involved as possible,” said Benjamin Smarr, who leads the data analysis effort and is a professor of data science and bioengineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. “If enough people are involved we can cover the whole country.”
Subjects don’t necessarily have to use a wearable device. They can simply enter their symptoms on a web form, such as those provided by UC San Diego’s own reportyoursymptoms.ucsd.edu/survey, as well as www.covidnearyou.org/#!/ and quantifiedflu.org.
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San Diego’s newest homeless shelter:
the Convention Center
It’s official: San Diego’s Convention Center is now a massive homeless shelter.
Homeless San Diegans staying in nonprofit Alpha Project’s two bridge shelters moved into the Convention Center on Wednesday, a development that would have been unthinkable just a month ago as Mayor Kevin Faulconer and others rallied behind a ballot measure meant to fund a Convention Center expansion.
Faulconer and other regional leaders said residents of the city’s other shelters will be next to move into the Convention Center to help implement social distancing standards. The center is expected to begin welcoming those now staying on the streets after hundreds of shelter residents move in.
Faulconer said he expects the facility to eventually temporarily house at least 1,500 homeless San Diegans.
Faulconer and Fletcher said both the city and the county would be helping fund the Convention Center operation.
In a separate press conference on Wednesday, Faulconer announced that he had issued a directive to make all city-owned properties – from libraries to parking lots – available to help with the coronavirus response.
“I’m doing this in anticipation and expectation that our hospitals will need all the help that our community can offer,” Faulconer said.
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Vista company launches new protective
shield for pharmacies and their customers
Vista-based RxSafe LLC has launched ViralGuardRx, a protective shield that creates a physical barrier to help prevent disease transmission at the pharmacy point-of-sale. Placed at pharmacy cash registers or pickup locations, ViralGuardRx helps reduce the risk of viral and bacterial transmission, protecting pharmacy staff and consumers from the spread of coronavirus.
“Pharmacists and pharmacy staff are on the front lines of this fight, encountering high numbers of potentially infectious customers every day,” said William Holmes, CEO of RxSafe. “ViralGuardRx not only provides a tool to keep them healthy, but also helps protect customers.”
ViralGuardRX can be used in any retail setting where essential employees are providing services to the public. Portable and easy to clean, pharmacies and other service providers can also use the affordable device for drive-by deliveries to customers.
The patent-pending ViralGuardRx has a copper-lined transfer port for medications. Copper is the only antimicrobial metal surface approved by the EPA and has been shown to kill bacteria and viruses, such as the coronavirus. The transfer port tips 90 degrees to facilitate medication delivery while blocking free airflow from the employee side to the customer side.
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Viasat and Visiontec partner to provide
Internet service to homes in Brazil
Viasat and Visiontec, a Brazilian-based satellite products distribution company, have partnered to provide fast, reliable Internet service to residential homes across Brazil, Viasat announced.
The partnership will enable Viasat to integrate its services in its residential service go-to-market strategy from assisting in sales engagements to providing quick in-home installations and on-site technical support.
“By broadening our relationship with Viasat, we can help more Brazilians get access to a premium internet service that will offer greater capabilities for people to be productive and entertained online. We see this expanded partnership as a win for everyone,” said Antonio Carlos de Moraes, business development director for Visiontec.
Under the joint venture, Viasat’s local field services teams will train Visiontec’s vast network of distributors, dealers and installers to quickly meet the demand for high-speed residential internet service in the country.
Upon completion of the launch rollout, Viasat will be able to reach 100 percent of the Brazilian continental territory, through Visiontec’s in-market sales, fulfillment and technical support expertise.
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VOLV secures seed round funding to help
trainers pivot to virtual coaching
VOLV, a virtual coaching platform, secured its $250,000 seed round of funding, led by technology fund Greatscale Venturesof San Diego.
VOLV uses artificial intelligence to help wellness coaches and trainers transition to a digital business, offering their followers bite-sized, in the moment messages designed to help form healthy habits.
Now, this technology is more important than ever as fitness trainers and wellness coaches have been losing their employment and income while fitness centers are closed as non-essential businesses. VOLV is helping coaches and trainers move to a virtual business so they can continue to help their clients and followers develop healthy habits. VOLV works by integrating AI and human-based coaching in order to automate 90 percent of the coaching moments throughout the day.
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Booz Allen Hamilton launches $100 million+
pandemic resilience program
Booz Allen Hamilton announced a pandemic resilience program of more than $100 million to support its 27,000 employees and the communities where they live and work.
The firm has over 1,200 employees in San Diego, and is the 2nd largest Booz Allen office in the world, after the DC/Maryland/Virginia region.
The announced program includes major benefit program enhancements to support employees dealing with health, child care, and COVID-related issues; a pledge of job security at least through July 1; and a commitment to provide funding, assistance, and technology expertise to aid vulnerable populations, military families, veterans and frontline healthcare workers.
“These moves will help protect the health and financial security of our people, their loved ones and their communities during a very uncertain, difficult time,” said Horacio Rozanski, Booz Allen’s president and CEO. “Supporting our people empowers them to fully support our clients in this time of critical need. Our business is our people, and this is just the right thing to do.”
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Rebecca Van Loon joins Solomon Ward
law firm as a partner
Rebecca Van Loon has joined Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith LLP as a partner.
With a nine-year practice focusing in the areas of estate planning, trust and probate administration and taxation law, Van Loon assists families and individuals with all aspects of estate planning, including wills, trusts, advance health care directives and financial powers of attorney. She also assists clients with estate, gift and property tax planning, including charitable gift planning.
A Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, Van Loon’s practice also incorporates international estate planning, as well as the representation of individuals, private professional fiduciaries and corporate trustees as fiduciaries through trust and estate administrations.
Prior to joining Solomon Ward, Van Loon was a shareholder at Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek.
Van Loon is a member of the State Bar of California and San Diego County Bar Association’s Trusts & Estates Taxation Sections, as well as the Lawyers Club of San Diego. She also serves on the San Diego Blood Bank Financial Resource Development Committee and is president of Gonzaga University’s Alumni Association.
Van Loon received her J.D., cum laude, from Willamette University College of Law, her LL.M in Taxation, magna cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law and her B.A., cum laude, from Gonzaga University.
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Scott Bennett joins Finch, Thornton & Baird
construction industry law firm
The California construction industry law firm of Finch, Thornton & Baird, LLP announced the addition of attorney Scott M. Bennett.
Bennett practices in areas of construction law including claims and disputes, collections, surety law, prime contracts and subcontracts, and general business and commercial litigation.
Bennett graduated from Nottingham Law School, with distinction, following successful completion of the Legal Practitioners Course. He received his Bachelor of Laws LLB, with honors, from Nottingham Trent University.
Prior to relocating to San Diego with his family, Bennett practiced as a solicitor in Manchester, England, in commercial litigation.
