Medtechs took a long look at themselves as they rose to the challenges of COVID-19. How they responded, repurposed and regrouped to tackle the coronavirus was both sobering and uplifting. The lessons of 2020 must be integrated into the digitally-enabled health care systems of 2021 and beyond.

The US FDA on 10 June authorized use of Illumina’s COVIDSeq next generation sequencing diagnostic test to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus and figure out if it’s mutating. The agency has high hopes this first-of-its-kind test will give researchers a better picture in the ongoing global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asia continues to gain attention for its healthtech innovation and adoption activity, and VC investors have seen the merits of a maintaining a focus on this newly emerging regional innovation hotspot, regardless of the pandemic.