Helping

Hackers Helping to Fight COVID-19

The unprecedented health threats and global response to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted everyone. Many hackers, makers, educators, and others have put their skills to use by contributing to solutions to a wide range of challenges.

These contributions are the essence of the hacker spirit: People using their skills, intelligence and energy to help other people. Hackers are helping by designing, making and distributing much-needed medical supplies. They are helping by creating communication forums, informative websites, software, and safe entertainment. They are helping by fighting disinformation, and doing research and experimentation to investigate solutions and mitigations.

On this page, we have collected links to some of the projects, products, groups, and activities that highlight how hackers are helping. Suggestions for additions may be sent by email to hackhelp@hope.net. The www.hope.net website will continue to be updated with information about how the HOPE 2020 conference, scheduled for July 31-August 2 2020, will be addressing these same themes.

Information guides, lists and collaborations

Collaborative guide to COVID-19 care by international hackers, including health care, shopping and more. Multilingual.

Collaborative Coronavirus Tech Handbook, covering many, many topics for different audiences: health care, teachers, researchers, and many others. Open for editing and additions.

Curated List of projects and resources related to COVID-19.

List of projects from hackers and hackerspaces around the US, by Nation of Makers.

Open source COVID-19 related medical supplies and projects.

Document from the above group: "Open Source COVID19 Medical Supply Guide".

DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects, plans, kits and instructions

Facemask: A facemask sewing pattern approved by St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, CO.

Facemask: N95 mask challenge.

Facemask: PDF of a DIY facemask.

Reusable face shield: router and laser cutter files from Artisan's Asylum (Somerville, Massachusetts).

Test: A COVID-19 test being developed in an Australian hackerspace.

Sterilizer: Low cost heat sterilizer for virus inactivation.

Software, communication and collaboration

Information collection platform from Wuhan, China (in English).

Regional or national emphasis

Germany, Chaos Computer Club Cologne (in German). DIY face shield and other items.

India resources, in English.

Japan resources, in English. Also general COVID-19 info.

United Kingdom, DoESLiverpool. Working on laser cut visors.

More?

To add additional resources, either register for an account (email provided; activation typically within 1 day), or email hackhelp@hope.net