Tech inspired lifestyles make ‘social distancing’ easier in times of coronavirus
- 08 Mar 2020
Coronavirus has spread fear among people, it has created panic and has made people take the necessary precautions to keep themselves as safe as possible.
For people hunkering down due to the coronavirus epidemic, the tech sector has become their new best friend with an array of lifestyle solutions making "social distancing" easier.
Those wanting to avoid crowds can have meals delivered from restaurants, stream blockbuster films, socialize online with friends, and work remotely.
The latest tech-inspired lifestyle solutions are gaining traction as more people are advised to work from home, and many conferences and gatherings are cancelled.
Anyone with an internet connection can use Amazon or e-commerce rivals to deliver provisions from groceries to toilet paper and over-the-counter medicine.
Checking on mom
Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi has been checking in daily with her mother, who lives close to Milan in a part of Italy hit by coronavirus cases and has kept to her home.
Video calling services like FaceTime have also helped with virtual doctor visits -- or telemedicine -- so patients can consult with physicians online and avoid visits to hospitals, she noted.
Milanesi told of a friend using online shopping tools to find coveted supplies such as sanitizing gel and wipes.
She also shared a news video clip of someone in China using a remote-controlled toy truck mounted with a GoPro camera to fetch supplies.
In a note to investors, analyst firm Needham said it expected people to grow increasingly uncomfortable going to gyms to work out, in a trend that should benefit the connected cycling maker Peloton.
Peloton has had a hit selling stationary exercise bicycles along with memberships to streaming online workout sessions that people can take part in from home.
In on nights out
Rivals in the increasingly competitive streaming television market also stand to benefit as people opt for home entertainment instead of risking contagion in public spaces, according to analysts.
More people could also start getting restaurant meals delivered from services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash instead of going out to restaurants.
Working smart
People in China, Silicon Valley, Japan and Italy are all adopting remote working at various degrees to limit the spreading of the virus, according to Milanesi, pointing to services like the teleconferencing app Zoom.
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"There is such excitement around remote work that brands like Zoom have seen their stock value climb up," Milanesi said in an online post.
"On paper, now is the time!"
She wondered, though, whether the promise of working remotely will run into a wall due to a need to update employment regulations as well as "trust issues of managers who need to feel they are in control."