Chicago 4/10/2020
All I want for Christmas is to hear somebody like Virgin Galactic say "... so you need more helmets ... hold my beer" and it's happened!
@TheSpaceshipCo "We worked to increase production by financing manufacturing machines and sending a team of experts to increase production flow. The team onsite is being led by Byron Henning, one of our top engineers."
Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company, as part of the Antelope Valley COVID Task Force, have collaborated with some incredible partners like Sea-Long to design and build NIV Helmets "patient oxygen hoods", which are being tested at Antelope Valley Hospital.
The owner of Sea-Long Medical Systems Inc Mr. Christopher Austin recalled the phone call he had received from Virgin Galactic in his interview for NBC news.
The team has designed and built several prototype patient oxygen hoods, which allow oxygen-rich pressure to support those admitted with COVID-19 – opening up the alveoli in the lungs and helping to delay or prevent Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) from developing. By mitigating ARDS, the team hopes this will then reduce the subsequent need for ventilator support.
You can find more information in the article on Virgin.com