Cloud communications platform Twilio is working with a number of businesses and organizations to make getting vaccinated a bit easier for Americans. Since the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in December, communities have hit a number of roadblocks including vaccine shortages and confusion about who is eligible and when.
Susan Lucas Collins, global head of healthcare services at Twilio, said communications issues have been the biggest challenge in properly distributing COVID vaccines. Twilio helps developers integrate communications tools like voice and text messages into apps.
Since stepping in to render its services, the company has been able to iron out logistical problems, help with appointment scheduling, and offer general information about who can actually get a shot in their arm.
"There are a lot of different ways that communications tools can be deployed to address challenges like this, and we've just been very happy to be able to help," Collins said.
While there has been a message of a growing sense of community coming from various industries and organizations looking to do their part to mitigate the spread of the virus, Collins said healthcare, in particular, is an industry Twilio looks to amplify.
"We've obviously had to make tremendous changes in the way we deliver healthcare in this environment. So you think about things like telehealth, for example, and how ubiquitous that's become, and our video product was really instrumental in being able to scale those kinds of solutions really quickly and efficiently," she added.
Twilio has also helped with providing updates of vaccine efficacy, sending alerts and notifications for booster shots, and responding to general inquiries about the virus and vaccines.
While there was a surge in telehealth visits in 2020 — a 154 percent jump in the last week of March alone — Twilio expects at least 35 percent of people to continue with that method of healthcare post-pandemic.
"You're not having to get in the car and go somewhere. You're not, maybe, having to arrange childcare, maybe you're not having to take so much time off from work," Collins noted. "And these kinds of things and that level of convenience is really critical in serving all different kinds of communities [including] folks who may be underserved with a traditional delivery mechanism. And, although it certainly won't replace in-person care, it has made a tremendous difference in supporting access in a more equitable fashion I would say."
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
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A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
