TORONTO – What do agricultural pesticides and concealed weapons have to do with med-tech advances in fighting COVID-19? Plenty, according to Canada’s science and industry ministry.

Hong Kong – South Korea’s Lunit Inc. is currently in the process of applying for U.S. FDA approval for Lunit Insight Mmg, its AI software that analyzes mammography images to detect breast cancer. Other markets that the company targets entering include South America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, Jussarang Lee, communications manager at Lunit, told BioWorld. Founded in 2013, the Seoul-based company uses artificial intelligence to develop cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

LONDON – Heart disease is now known to be both a cause and an effect of serious COVID-19 infection, with more than 1 in 10 patients who have underlying cardiac conditions being killed by the virus, while others with no previous record of cardiovascular problems are suffering significant COVID-19 induced weakening of their hearts.

The U.S. FDA has given the greenlight to Eko Devices Inc.’s electrocardiogram (ECG)-based algorithm to aid in detecting patients with heart failure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The artificial intelligence (AI)-powered algorithm, which provides a quick way to screen for low ejection fraction, won FDA breakthrough status in December of 2019.

HONG KONG – Israeli companies have produced some promising med-tech solutions for COVID-19, and the artificial intelligence space is turning out to be a particularly strong area of expertise for that tiny but mighty nation. One of the four health maintenance organizations (HMO) in Israel, Maccabi Healthcare Services, has deployed a new AI-powered algorithm that identifies individuals estimated to be at the highest risk of severe COVID-19 complications due to pre-existing conditions and other health factors.

As state and federal authorities deliberate over how to safely reopen U.S. society during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, tools that effectively monitor body temperature at a population level could help to get the ball rolling. To that end, software development firm Altoros Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., has released the Fever Screener, a fully automated, enterprise-grade system for setting up temperature scanning checkpoints. Fever Screener can scan up to 30 people simultaneously at a distance of 3 meters, or nearly 10 feet, with a temperature accuracy of roughly 0.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Installed in entryways, checkpoints or other crowded venues, it can provide mass screenings, as well as recurrent temperature monitoring for potentially infected individuals.

PARIS – Diabeloop SAS, of Grenoble, France, has launched a real-world study of its automated insulin delivery DBLG1 system, incorporating the Dana-I pump from Sooil Development Co. Ltd., of Seoul, South Korea.

HONG KONG – Whether bats are the source of COVID-19 is a debatable point; however, using sound to navigate like them could prove key for diagnostics and disease monitoring. Bat-Call Ltd. is using its auscultation technology in the battle against the pandemic. It said its patented artificial intelligence (AI) infra-sound analysis and deep learning classification technologies can support the early detection and monitoring of COVID-19 patients.

BOGOTA, Colombia – Alivecor Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., is taking its Kardiamobile solution to capture medical-grade ECGs to the Mexican market after receiving clearance from the Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios, that country’s health care authority.

COVID-19 has disrupted science in the way it has disrupted everything else. In the short term, universities have largely closed shop as a way to maximize social distancing, and lots of science – or at least, lots of bench work – is not getting done.