The coronavirus pandemic hit the world hard, leaving many casualties of various ages. It brought many setbacks to multiple sectors from medical, education, and the economy. People had to stop doing their everyday activities and adapt to the new normal. It has not been easy, but human beings are a very resilient species. We adapted to the unique situation and found ways to survive. Even though we depict a Covid-19 negatively, its existence also helped the world develop and discover new ways of dealing with pandemics. So how does Covid-19 impact technology? Below is a preview.
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Challenges of the Pandemic
Since Covid-19 is a novel SARS virus, there was no information about how to tackle it. Scientists were working around the clock with the bit of information they had to develop a valid vaccine. In the meantime, every sector became paralyzed, with many people losing their jobs. Schools were closed to prevent further transmission, hospitals filled, and public sectors became a nightmare.
Lockdown was the sure way of handling the situation, but it was still spreading even with that. Adherence to WHO regulation helped a bit, although not everybody was keen on the restrictions they hoped. Other challenges of Covid-19 include;
- Restriction in the transport industry; many countries locked down and restricted movements, especially those from the most affected areas. This restriction hindered things like tourism, business, and even medical treatment.
- Businesses were affected, leading to a decrease in revenues and a negative impact on the economy.
- The sports sector was affected, and many world games had to stop. Organizations had to reschedule world championship games and athletics.
Impact on Technology
Adaptation to the new way of living was needed; hence, people came up with ways around the situation. Unlike the widespread belief that the pandemic only brought adverse, effects, it also had some positive ones. The pandemic impacted different sectors in the following ways;
Medical Sector
Hospitals around the world became congested, with some patients failing to get the proper attention they needed. Coronavirus patients require ventilators to help in breathing. So, manufacturing companies dealing with concentrators, ventilators, and other medical devices got an opportunity to fill the gap. The need for oxygen increased, and concentrators such as Zeolite 5a came in handy.
Moreover, the search for covid-19 vaccines led to the improvement of medical technology. Now, the world is celebrating several valid covid-19 vaccines that will help in preventing further mortalities. Additionally, the pandemic has given scientists new ideas of how to go about any pandemic that might occur in the future.
Commercial Sector
The effects of this sector were among the major ones. Many people lost their jobs since companies had to let go of some people. After a while, the realization that the pandemic was not ending soon adaptation took place. People began working from home to ease congestion at work. Online meetings diversified, enabling employees to have seamless meetings with their bosses.
Online business also grew tremendously because the online audience increased by a considerable margin. For trade shows, exhibition companies no longer needed to rent booths out, so they came up with virtual trade shows. Virtual trade grew with companies trying to outshine their competitors by incorporating 3D displays. Also, companies dealing with protective equipment such as face masks grew their revenue since their demand increased.
Technology – Education Sector
The closing of schools increased anxiety, especially in parents since they were wondering how their children would learn. Many governments came up with ways of ensuring learning will continue as scheduled with the help of technology. Although online learning is not a new thing, many people were not conversant with it. Online learning was embraced from the youngest learners to those in higher learning institutions.
When school started to reopen, measures had to be taken to ensure kids will be safe. Disinfection areas were set up, where kids would sanitize before entering schools.
Residential Sectors
Social distance was the only way of preventing congestion in public areas, meaning most people were spending more time at home. Parents started home improvements to ensure that their children would have ample time at home. Also, sanitization at home improved. Hand sanitizers and other protective clothing like masks had to be used to promote safety.
Technology- Social Media
Social media usage immensely grew since people had a lot of time on their hands. Some companies even came up with new social media platforms to help entertain the masses while at home. Platforms such as Tiktok became a sensation with people around the world trying different challenges to push time. More social platforms diversified and became better to continue being at par with their competitors.
Conclusion
Many catastrophes leave people suffering from either morbidity, mortality, or being homeless. We cannot avoid some of these happenings, but we can handle some. Technology has played a vital role in ensuring that people survive some of the most challenging situations they face. The covid-19 pandemic was a big test for the world as it affected every single sector. However, even with all the negative impacts, it brought out some positive effects to the world.
As human beings, we tend to see an opportunity in any situation.
