Coronavirus is still spreading at a rapid pace with more and more new cases popping up every day. The outbreak is affecting our lives in more ways than one. From transport and technology to healthcare, every major sector has taken a hit, causing problems everywhere.

One of the biggest and probably the most crucial issues has been the lack of medical supplies to treat the patients. We recently came across a story like this in which a hospital in Italy was unable to provide the medical aid required to treat its patients.

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When you have hundreds of cases showing up on your doorstep, you got to make sure that you have enough resources and medical aid to take them in and help them fight through this. One of the only ways to save lives at this point is to have as many 'resuscitation' machines as possible.

For those of you who don't know, 'resuscitation' ('reanimation' in Italian) machine is a part of the equipment found in an intensive care unit that used to cure a patient's inability to breathe properly. These aren't the kinds of machines that are made to treat a lot of patients at a given time, hence they come with a limited supply of valves that are used to treat the patients.

One of the hospitals in Brescia, one of the hardest-hit regions for coronavirus infections, urgently needed valves for an ICU device. However, there was a supply-demand gap that couldn't be filled on time.

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As noted by the folks over at the 3D printing Network Media, running out of the valves would have been dramatic and some people may have lost their lives. So the hospital started coordinating with a bunch of companies, trying to figure out a way to 3D print them.

A company called Isinnova showed up to the hospital with a 3D printer and produced the required valves in just a few hours. Who would've thought that 3D printers can come in handy at such an occasion, right?

© Reuters

The valves are now actively being 3D printed in huge numbers to curb the shortage of supply. This is one of those cases which makes us feel a little positive about the whole situation which otherwise seems to be getting out of hands by each passing day.

We hope all of you reading this story are safely isolated at homes, away from crowded locations. It's only a matter of time until we hear some news about a vaccine to contain the spread. Stay safe, everyone. 

Source: 3D Printing Media Network

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