Amazon’s latest health care push targets a common virus

Amazon’s new health care initiative reportedly seeks a cure for a highly contagious virus that is not COVID-19.

According to CNBC, Amazon is the latest entity to pursue a cure for the virus which causes the common cold. The e-tailer is said to have more than 100 people, including scientists and technologists, attempting to develop an effective vaccine and/or treatment within the Amazon Web Services Grand Challenge research division.

The project is reportedly nicknamed “Project Gesundheit.” Amazon has never formally admitted to the existence of Grand Challenge, which works on solving major issues affecting humanity, including health care. 

Amazon has been making a wide variety of inroads into health care in the past year These include the PillPack pharmaceutical delivery service, as well as its Amazon Care virtual health service currently available to employees at the e-tailer’s Seattle headquarters.

Meanwhile, top competitor Walmart is piloting a stand-alone Walmart Health healthcare center format, and is reportedly negotiating with Verizon to provide 5G networking services that would support in-store health hubs at all of the discounter’s U.S. stores.