What Intel learned from its coronavirus response

Intel has now spent $30 million of the $50 million it pledged in April to help address the coronavirus outbreak, including money for remote health and distance learning. The company says it has learned some key lessons along the way.

Why it matters: Lots of tech companies announced large pandemic relief plans. It's worth checking back to see how those efforts turned out.

One of the big lessons — which some countries (namely the U.S.) seem to be learning the hard way — is that one can't separate reviving the economy from containing the pandemic.

• "People's health will be critical to the world's economic recovery, just as the economic recovery will be key to everyone's health," Intel VP Rick Echevarria said in a blog post.

Echevarria said the technologies where Intel invested heavily — digital health and distance learning — are bound to outlive the pandemic.

"Life will be different for everyone around the world after the coronavirus is history. Doctors and patients will communicate from a greater distance. Educators will find lessons in distance learning to make online classes more effective and meaningful. Cures for many more diseases will come from the private, safe and efficient sharing of data."