Where to find verified leads for COVID-19 resources?

The second wave of coronavirus has led to an acute shortage of resources across the country. Every day, news articles and social media platforms are full of requests for plasma, oxygen concentrators, and even food services. 

When Lucknow-based serial entrepreneur Shrishti Sahu failed to get reliable help when 18 members of her family, including herself, were infected by COVID-19, she realised something needed to be done.

“I was seeing these people just waiting for plasma donors, who never showed up. Families were breaking down in front of me, and I felt so helpless,” recalls Shrishti. 

She decided to build Verified Covid Leads (VCL), a platform that would aggregate verified data from different sources for people to access easily. 

Since its launch, the site has registered over 450,000 users and garnered more than 3.5 million views with a network across Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Patna, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur, Chennai, Baroda, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, and Hyderabad. 

The platform has also been commended on social media by well-known personalities like Kapil Misra, Tapsee Pannu, and Rajdeep Sardesai.

Read about how the Indian startup ecosystem is battling the second wave of COVID-19 here.

Here are some useful tools and links that can help you find the nearest vaccine centres in real-time.

The Interview

In the CleanTheAir series, YourStory, in participation with Project StepOne, aims to bring clarity and spread as much correct information as possible to help combat the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In this episode, Lt Col (Dr) Radha J Joneja (Retd) and Vidyashankar AV debunked many myths surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations, how to help employees with their mental health, and how can corporates and startup better understand employees and cater to their needs amidst the pandemic, among others.

Editor’s Pick: Allabout Innovations  

Many Indian startups have stepped up to fight the deadly COVID-19 surge in India. Among them is Kochi-based Allabout Innovations, which is working to fight the second wave through its innovative solution — The Wolf Airmask. It is an electronic device that discharges up to 100 trillion negative ions to deactivate viruses and bacterias, including SARS-CoV-2. Read more.

Startup Spotlight

This online marketplace wants to be an easy ecommerce option for Bharat

COVID-19 single-handedly changed consumer behaviour across the world, and India was no exception. Metros and big cities offered a range of ecommerce and e-grocery options, but those in small towns often had to do without.

Luv Bassi decided to change that with his Panchkula-based online marketplace Yes Genie. The startup functions as an aggregator, selling brands and products across categories. Read more.

News & Updates

• Ethereum co-founder and the world's youngest cryptocurrency billionaire Vitalik Buterin (27) yesterday reportedly donated 50 trillion Shiba Inu (SHIB) tokens worth $1.14 billion to India's Crypto COVID Relief Fund set up by Polygon founder Sandeep Nailwal last month. He also donated 500 ETH, worth over $2 million, to the relief fund.

• Tesla will suspend the use of Bitcoin for the purchase of its electric vehicles. Founder Elon Musk cited environmental issues for this decision. Following this move, the price of Bitcoin plunged by more than 11 percent, which is now trading at $50,000, down from $54,0000.

• Daalchini is converting its 90 manned pantries at Reliance Industries' plant in Jamnagar into contactless, digitally-enabled kiosks. 

• Mayank Jain has joined CarDekho Group’s New Auto vertical as CEO, after running media company Network18’s Hindi news cluster for more than two years. He will strengthen the vertical and create deep engagements with the dealer network and other enterprise partners.  

Before you go, stay inspired with… 

"People are overwrought with anxiety, fear, and the unending feeling of helplessness amid rising COVID cases. This is a time for mutual collaboration and leveraging human connection to make the lives of COVID patients and their families a tad easier."

— Harsh Pokharna, Co-founder and CEO, OkCredit 

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