YC Companies Responding to Covid-19 (opens in new tab)

(ycombinator.com)

144 pointsmg6y ago33 comments

33 comments

Really happy to see this. Really happy to see the extra "Who is Hiring" post the other day. In passing, I also noticed a title about YC going all remote for their upcoming batch. All good stuff. I'm impressed by the proactive response.

If they haven't already, I would love to see something like this focused on any YC companies involved in providing remote work options. I think they have at least one company called Moonlight that does, or did, that kind of thing for programmers. If that company is alive and well, I'm sure there are people here who would love to know more.

ignoramous6y ago

> Really happy to see the extra "Who is Hiring" post the other day.

For any one interested, here's that thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22665398

DoreenMichele6y ago

Terrific idea. See also the "Who wants to be hired" post:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22665396

Edit:

A couple more resources:

List of Remote Jobs or Gigs Platforms (google doc -- not mine, just something I know about)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JfNAbUX_lN9K3MCNHO15...

r/GigWorks (I'm the mod)

1 more reply

Tarrosion6y ago

I know it's the nature of startups that most of these efforts will fail for technical reasons, fail for financial reasons, arrive to late, get preempted, etc. Maybe this is doubly true for hard problems in biology like drug discovery.

Nonetheless, I am filled with pride and optimism that so many talented people are working on these ambitious projects. Humanity the species will get through this yet.

hef198986y ago

Especially the logistics oriented companies are incredibly important. Flexport, Medina's, Osh.

If wonder why, the German government (procurement was handled by the military procurement agency and a department of German customs) "lost" a suppliers shipment of 6 million FFP2 masks (or 3 million, numbers are not really reliable so far) in Kenia. For everyone wondering why they have been shipped througj Africa, welcome to the club. I have no idea. But it seems logistics was handled by the supplier.

Having control over your supply chain, from sourcing through distribution, is critical right now.

Good to see YC has some of such companies in their portfolio.

seanhunter6y ago

That Kenya facemask story looks highly dubious and likely to be fake. The main source seems to be rt.com. Do you have a credible source?

The stories I've seen claim to be quoting der spiegel but I don't see the story on der speigel itself. For example, nothing is showing up on https://www.spiegel.de/suche/?suchbegriff=mask+kenya&seite=1

hef198986y ago

Confirmed by the German defence ministry, first reported by Speigel who seems to have a copy from the internal report on it (they are citing passages from it in their German article).

But I agree, it is highly dubious. Not having been involved, my only theory right now is that the supplier sold them to someone els. if he ran delivery himself, it is easy to route it through Kenia. Then the shipment get's lost. If he was smart, he has proper insurance for it.

"The authorities are trying to find out what happened,” a German defence ministry spokeswoman said, confirming a report first published by Spiegel Online."

Surce: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-german...

1 more reply

jjjz6y ago

Search for german "Schutzmaske Kenia"

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/coronavirus-in-de...

gt565k6y ago

Are anti-body tests available to purchase on the commercial market yet?

I'd like to know if I already had it so I can get on with my life.

Animats6y ago

Pre-order, but not yet shipping. [1][2][3] Probably next week.

[1] https://www.biomedomics.com/products/infectious-disease/covi...

[2] https://townhall.com/tipsheet/elliebufkin/2020/03/24/what-co...

[3] https://www.safecarerapidtest.com/Coronavirus-Test-Kit-COVID...

ikeboy6y ago

It's illegal to sell them directly to customers in the US as of now. You can buy them in bulk relatively easily.

crispyporkbites6y ago

Can you still carry it / spread it after you’ve had it and recovered?

TuringNYC6y ago

Probably not, but the reason to get antibody tests is to know you're past it and hopefully wont be a carrier to potentially infect others (e.g., if you live with your elderly parents)

That said, there are no hard rules

- you can still spread it physically (e.g., via clothing, on hands, surfaces)

- it isnt 100% clear you cannot be re-infected

- it isnt clear the length of time immunity is conferred

- it isnt clear if the virus might mutate drastically overstepping immunity from a previous infection

IANAD, of course get final answers from your doctor

Fnoord6y ago

When you recover from a virus, antibodies are in your body. These can be detected, Once you're recovered, you can no longer spread the disease. Problem is, people with mild symptoms believe they don't have it, or have recovered.

I'm one of the many, many people who has been ill for a while during the past weeks, and would like to know if I had it. If I can know for sure that I had it, and no longer have it, then I can "move on with my life" indeed. As in, I no longer have to worry about getting this disease, spreading this disease, or getting organ damage from this disease. Most important, I'll know that when I visit my mother (nearly 70, and risk group) that I won't spread the disease to her. Same for my mother in law.

1 more reply

sbierwagen6y ago

If you're not shedding viruses, you can't spread it.

1 more reply

yairchu6y ago

Do folks generally keep with the regular secrecy in this situation?

(regarding ANA's "More than 50 years ago, the FDA approved a drug. Today, we’re evaluating that drug as a treatment for COVID-19")

boyband66666y ago

I also found that extraordinary. With such limited information it is not possible to know if the contacts I have are relevant, and how serious and progressed the company are.

After all if I suggest something I'm putting my reputation (in part) on the line, which I'm not prepared to do without at least understanding this is a serious proposal, and the science being at least superficially credible.

westurner6y ago

Are life sciences and healthcare familiar verticals for YC?

Good to see money and talent going to such good use.

(Edit) Here's the YC Companies list; which doesn't yet list these new investments:

Biomedical vertical: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biomedical

Healthcare vertical: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Healthcare

"The Y Combinator Database" https://www.ycdb.co/

tirrellp6y ago

I'd like to see this for all YC companies. The 'how you can help' was an especially useful artifact of information. For those of us who are bored and in need of intellectual stimulation, I would like to know what other (non medical) startups are working on, with a specific description of 'how I can help'. Im talking specifically about short term projects (e.g., a week to 2 months) as opposed to the 'who's hiring' thread.

corpMaverick6y ago

It is amazing that talent is going well beyond building cute cat apps.

martin_e6y ago

How do I update our YC application? We are pivoting to help with COVID-19.

Thanks.

mtraven6y ago

The page seems to have vanished in the last few hours. (Whups, now it's back).

Xavdidtheshadow6y ago

archive view here: https://web.archive.org/web/20200325200045/https://www.ycomb...

snowmaker6y ago

Sorry! We had a glitch :)

Xavdidtheshadow6y ago

Archive view: https://web.archive.org/web/20200325200045/https://www.ycomb...

georgewsinger6y ago

[flagged]

dang6y ago

Community reaction seems pretty favorable so far.

It's true that cynical comments often show up early in a thread, but that's partly because thoughtful comments simply take longer to write.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

33 comments

DoreenMichele6y ago

ignoramous6y ago

> Really happy to see the extra "Who is Hiring" post the other day.

For any one interested, here's that thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22665398

DoreenMichele6y ago

Terrific idea. See also the "Who wants to be hired" post:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22665396

Edit:

A couple more resources:

List of Remote Jobs or Gigs Platforms (google doc -- not mine, just something I know about)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JfNAbUX_lN9K3MCNHO15...

r/GigWorks (I'm the mod)

1 more reply

Tarrosion6y ago

Nonetheless, I am filled with pride and optimism that so many talented people are working on these ambitious projects. Humanity the species will get through this yet.

hef198986y ago

Especially the logistics oriented companies are incredibly important. Flexport, Medina's, Osh.

Having control over your supply chain, from sourcing through distribution, is critical right now.

Good to see YC has some of such companies in their portfolio.

seanhunter6y ago

That Kenya facemask story looks highly dubious and likely to be fake. The main source seems to be rt.com. Do you have a credible source?

hef198986y ago

Confirmed by the German defence ministry, first reported by Speigel who seems to have a copy from the internal report on it (they are citing passages from it in their German article).

"The authorities are trying to find out what happened,” a German defence ministry spokeswoman said, confirming a report first published by Spiegel Online."

Surce: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-german...

1 more reply

jjjz6y ago

Search for german "Schutzmaske Kenia"

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/coronavirus-in-de...

gt565k6y ago

Are anti-body tests available to purchase on the commercial market yet?

I'd like to know if I already had it so I can get on with my life.

Animats6y ago

Pre-order, but not yet shipping. [1][2][3] Probably next week.

[1] https://www.biomedomics.com/products/infectious-disease/covi...

[2] https://townhall.com/tipsheet/elliebufkin/2020/03/24/what-co...

[3] https://www.safecarerapidtest.com/Coronavirus-Test-Kit-COVID...

ikeboy6y ago

It's illegal to sell them directly to customers in the US as of now. You can buy them in bulk relatively easily.

crispyporkbites6y ago

Can you still carry it / spread it after you’ve had it and recovered?

TuringNYC6y ago

Probably not, but the reason to get antibody tests is to know you're past it and hopefully wont be a carrier to potentially infect others (e.g., if you live with your elderly parents)

That said, there are no hard rules

- you can still spread it physically (e.g., via clothing, on hands, surfaces)

- it isnt 100% clear you cannot be re-infected

- it isnt clear the length of time immunity is conferred

- it isnt clear if the virus might mutate drastically overstepping immunity from a previous infection

IANAD, of course get final answers from your doctor

Fnoord6y ago

1 more reply

sbierwagen6y ago

If you're not shedding viruses, you can't spread it.

1 more reply

yairchu6y ago

Do folks generally keep with the regular secrecy in this situation?

(regarding ANA's "More than 50 years ago, the FDA approved a drug. Today, we’re evaluating that drug as a treatment for COVID-19")

boyband66666y ago

I also found that extraordinary. With such limited information it is not possible to know if the contacts I have are relevant, and how serious and progressed the company are.

westurner6y ago

Are life sciences and healthcare familiar verticals for YC?

Good to see money and talent going to such good use.

(Edit) Here's the YC Companies list; which doesn't yet list these new investments:

Biomedical vertical: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Biomedical

Healthcare vertical: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/?vertical=Healthcare

"The Y Combinator Database" https://www.ycdb.co/

tirrellp6y ago

corpMaverick6y ago

It is amazing that talent is going well beyond building cute cat apps.

martin_e6y ago

How do I update our YC application? We are pivoting to help with COVID-19.