In China, Spain, Italy, and across the world, we've seen how quickly and easily medical systems can be swamped by big surges in novel coronavirus cases.

In most places here in the United States, healthcare systems have borne up pretty well, though at times, they've been under punishing pressure.

Officials have had to scramble to keep up with demand for care. Among other things, we've seen hotels in New York City pressed into service as hospitals and dormitories for healthcare providers. In Baltimore, the downtown convention center has become a hospital and testing center. In Bayou Segnette State Park, south of New Orleans, even recreational cabins were used as makeshift isolation wards.

That's just some of the improvisation that's had to take place across virtually the entire country.

Technological and medial improvisation has been a recurring theme in some of our talks about the national COVID-19 response.

So today, I want to tell you about a company working to ease the need for such drastic measures. It's not working on a breakthrough vaccine or therapy, or on a lifesaving machine - though its work, in my view, is every bit as important to the fight.

Rather, this company is working on a more, shall we say, basic, foundational approach. And it has a "secret weapon" that can not only help us beat the disease, but has applications and growth potential far beyond healthcare.