In times of need, every bit of help counts.
It’s something Johnson & Johnson knows well: Throughout its over 130-year history, the company has had a legacy of coming to the aid of local and global communities during times of crisis, from natural disasters to health outbreaks.
In response to the current COVID-19 outbreak—which is caused by the coronavirus and continues to spread, with growing numbers of confirmed cases and deaths in China—the company has mobilized quickly to provide crucial donations from across its businesses, as well as other support, to help those impacted.
Here’s a look at those efforts to date.
1.
1 Million Surgical Masks Have Been Donated
Wearing a surgical mask is critical for healthcare providers and first responders who are caring for someone who has the coronavirus, or is suspected to have it.
To help ensure that healthcare workers who are working tirelessly in impacted areas in China have adequate protection, Johnson & Johnson has donated one million masks, as well as goggles, protective suits, thermometers and respirators.
2.
1 Million Renminbi, the Currency of China, Has Been Donated to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation
Johnson & Johnson China is contributing these funds to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation to help purchase masks, protection suits and sanitizer for frontline healthcare workers.
3.
48,000 Bottles of BAND-AID® Brand Isopropyl Alcohol Have Been Donated
To help contain and prevent the further spread of the virus, Johnson & Johnson China has donated these supplies to help frontline healthcare workers with sanitizing and disinfecting efforts.
4.
1 Electrosurgical Generator and Other Medical Devices Have Been Donated to Hospitals
Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies China is providing an electrosurgical generator—used for certain types of surgery that harness electricity—and other devices to the Red Cross Society of China Wuhan Branch to help supply new isolation hospitals that were constructed quickly to address the growing outbreak.
5.
Over 1,300 Packs of Acuvue® Contact Lenses Have Been Donated to Medical Workers
To help physicians and nurses in Wuhan see under their required protective goggles, which can be challenging while also wearing glasses, the Johnson & Johnson Vision team in China moved quickly to provide packs of disposable prescription contact lenses.
6.
1 Team of Company Scientists Is Hard at Work on a Potential Vaccine
One critical way Johnson & Johnson is working to help halt the spread of the coronavirus is through the development of a potential vaccine for the disease. The company’s experience in combating epidemics like Ebola, along with its expertise in respiratory illnesses, makes it uniquely qualified to help aid in the fight.
That’s why Johnson & Johnson quickly mobilized to collaborate with different partners around the world and begin efforts to create a vaccine, which the company hopes to begin testing later this year. To rapidly accelerate this vaccine program, as well as to screen for and develop potential new treatments for COVID-19, the company has announced that it is partnering with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The goal is to identify existing or new compounds with antiviral activity against COVID-19 that may contribute to providing immediate relief to the current outbreak.
This week, two senior scientists at the company—Hanneke Schuitemaker, Ph.D., Vice President, Global Head of Viral Vaccine Discovery and Translational Medicine and Disease Area Stronghold Leader for Viral Vaccines, and Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Johnson & Johnson Global Public Health R&D—are also meeting with other top experts at the World Health Organization to discuss the company’s coronavirus research and the world’s response to the disease.
