Seemingly overnight, unprecedented socio-economic changes have gripped the world. The COVID-19 pandemic is changing life at a pace unseen since the Great Depression. And, all across the global stage, world leaders have put a moratorium on “non-essential” commerce to slow the spread of the virus. With this pandemic, however, healthcare organizations have an advantage not accorded to previous generations: an unparalleled level of access to remote connectivity. And, web portals are at the forefront of that digital framework.
COVID-19 and the Pharmaceutical Industry
Given the rate of infection and the lethality of this viral infection for certain demographics, the pharmaceutical industry is under intense pressure to provide effective resources to front-line healthcare providers.
Predominantly, the problem lies in the supply chain. COVID-19 is a virus that spreads rapidly. Simply put, it’s the newest iteration of previously known coronavirus strains. Previous strains have included SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).
With COVID-19’s rapid onset, the pharmaceutical industry only has a narrow window of opportunity to act. Essentially, the industry must race against time to develop a vaccine as well as other courses of treatment. To add to its woes, widespread quarantines, supply chain disruptions, shuttered state offices, and food transportation system challenges are making it difficult to get supplies to those who need it the most.
As of this printing, the FDA has approved the use of hydroxychloroquine for compassionate use in the treatment of COVID-19. However, manufacturers are already facing possible shortages of the drug. Many hospitals and healthcare organizations have exponentially increased their orders of hydroxychloroquine in the past week.
There’s an answer, however.
What are Web Portals?
Web portals are functional web pages where users, including researchers and pharmaceutical professionals, can find information about specific topics and perform collaborative tasks. A web portal can vary in how it looks, depending on what industry it services.
In response to the current pandemic, a number of major corporations like Google and Bing, as well as public entities like the Center for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and United Nations (UN), have set up their own web portals to provide the public with as much knowledge as they can regarding COVID-19. These portals also help track the spread of the virus.
How Can Web Portals Help in the Fight Against COVID-19?
At present, pharmaceutical companies are limited to the resources they have on hand. Future procurements hang in the balance due to a severely disrupted supply chain. With a scarcity of materials and manpower resources, researchers must find alternatives to traditional face-to-face collaborative efforts. To achieve this, pharmaceutical companies can leverage the interconnectivity of web portals to get actionable results.
Put simply, web portals can offer constructive assistance in the battle against the virus. They can help facilitate collaboration between stakeholders tasked with developing a vaccine within a narrow time frame. Through the use of online trackers and other aggregated data, researchers can pool their resources, offer a wider network of expertise and ideas, and gain greater insight into the trajectory of the virus.
In the civilian world, companies like Google have launched COVID-19 web portals so users can access localized resources, find authoritative information about the virus, and keep up with research efforts.
Implementing Web Portals Into Your Research
Meanwhile, web portals are equally important to the pharmaceutical industry in the fight against COVID-19. Indeed, social distancing is a powerful front-line weapon against the spread of the virus. However, in order to eradicate the disease and protect future generations, collaboration between important stakeholders is critical.
And, there’s no better way to facilitate collaborative efforts between the government and pharmaceutical stakeholders than through web portals. If you’re in the manufacturing industry at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, Entrance Consulting’s web portal development expertise can help you obtain the results you need. For more information about our services in this area, contact us today.