“I want to support the healthcare workers who are fighting the COVID pandemic,” said Lavanya Sharma, a rising high school senior from North Hollywood. As an active member of the community, she saw the devastating effects of the disease around the world and wanted to do something to help. The idea was born when she learned about the COVID-19 research project, which she has since helped curate. Its aim is to inform the public about this pandemic and ways to help.

The organization is made up of volunteers. The volunteers include students from Stony Brook University, a rising junior, and Claire, the President of the Asian Students Alliance, a student organization. Claire is responsible for processing all requests for PPE and ensuring that they are delivered on time. She also manages the Makers’ email account, which is used to share resources with previous requestors.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a new strain of COVID-19 a “public health concern,” primarily because of the recent emergence of this virus in South Africa. As a result, the pharmaceutical industry has begun pivoting its efforts to combat the new variant. It is testing higher doses of existing COVID vaccines and designing new ones that anticipate strain mutations. In addition, omicron-specific boosters are being developed.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also asked vaccine manufacturers to change the composition of their COVID-19 vaccines. This new vaccine should be more effective against the omicron variant of the virus.