Amazon, Microsoft launch initiatives to accelerate COVID-19 research and testing

As COVID-19 continues to spread, with 209,000 confirmed cases and close to 9,000 deaths globally, technology giants are stepping up to accelerate research and potential treatments.

Among them, Amazon and Microsoft are rolling out separate initiatives to support COVID-19 diagnostics and research.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced Friday it is setting aside an initial $20 million toward the development of diagnostics, including a more accurate, faster coronavirus test.

AWS is launching the Diagnostic Development Initiative to support customers who are working to bring better, more accurate diagnostic solutions to market faster and to promote better collaboration across organizations.

With the assistance of AWS, customers can accelerate diagnostic research, innovation and development to speed our collective understanding and detection of COVID-19 and other innovate diagnostic solutions to mitigate future infectious disease outbreaks, Teresa Carlson, vice president of worldwide public sector at AWS, wrote in a blog post.