Coronavirus Outbreak: Amazon, Bill Gates join hands to deliver test kits as Covid-19 pandemic cases soar in the US

Amazon is teaming up with a Bill Gates-funded research programme to pick up and deliver coronavirus test kits in Seattle amid the ongoing global pandemic. [caption id=“attachment_4218377” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Reuters[/caption] The e-commerce giant has said that a group of medical, public health and research organisations, collectively called The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network, is collecting nasal swabs from people across King County in Seattle, reported Reuters. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the US hard with over 45,000 cases and over 500 deaths registered. King County, which is a part of Washington State, has been one of the worst-hit places. According to a report in SCAN, Amazon Care, the e-commerce giant’s arm that provides medical care to employees, will provide the infrastructure needed for the effort to combat the spread of the pandemic. However, it is still not clear whether UPS and FedEx, which specialise in such deliveries, will be part of the effort. Amazon Care was launched in September 2019 as a pilot project to deliver quality healthcare to employees and their families in Seattle. Click here for Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE updates The coronavirus pandemic has affected 195 countries across the world and infected over 3,50,000 people. At least 16,000 deaths have been reported so far. Over a lakh people have recovered globally, which shows almost an 85 percent recovery rate.