COVID-19 Travel restrictions affecting technology

By Patrick Bailey

COVID-19 as a  pandemic has upset virtually every sector of day-to-day life. That includes technology.

Travel restrictions have kept people close to home or sometimes literally at home as they telecommute until given the all-clear to return to the office.

For others, it’s a wait-and-see until it’s safe to return to the workplace.

More than 200 countries and territories around the world have restricted or forbidden travel to try and stem the spread of the coronavirus, according to the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization.

That COVID-19 began in the manufacturing hub of Wuhan, China, and spread out to other major industrial hubs has affected the supply chains and the global economy.

Technology companies, like many other industries, have shuttered stores and stalled production.  The result has been delays and shortages.

COVID-19 is impacting technology

The outbreak and threat of the coronavirus have impacted technology in many ways.

Investment is down, as are trade and international travel.

By some estimates, global goods exports could tumble to a low not seen in more than a decade. The same goes for travel.

There have been rebounds from the 2003 SARS outbreak and the financial crisis of the mid- to late 2000s.

Once the pandemic is brought under control, whether by immunity or a vaccine, is when things can truly begin to return to normal.

For now, however, we’re adapting. Whether it’s long term or otherwise, that remains to be seen.

Here are some ways COVID-19 is affecting technology.

Supply Chains

That the pandemic began in China and spread far beyond its borders not only affected the globe from a health perspective, but also in terms of manufacturing.

China without a doubt is a behemoth presence in global production, leading the world with more than $2.01 trillion in output as of 2015.

Manufacturing makes up 27 percent of its national output, amounting to 20 percent of the world’s manufactured products.

That’s followed by the United States and Japan, which combined comprise 48 percent of all the globe’s manufactured goods.

So when the pandemic stopped or slowed manufacturing as people entered quarantine to slow the progress of the coronavirus, the effects were felt far and wide.

Firms like Apple saw shortages in iPhone supplies when China-based Foxconn slashed its production considerably.

Forecasts estimated as a result Apple would see as much as 10 percent drops in iPhone shipments.

Most companies may have contingency plans to accommodate more short-term emergencies.

typically this is done by shifting production to another unaffected area, but when it’s a global pandemic and not a local disaster, it’s not so easy to just flip a switch a thousand miles away and carry on mostly as usual.

Connecting Disconnect

One big stall in the tech industry is that a number of tech conferences have been canceled.

The Mobile World Congress, which was to be held in February of 2020 in Barcelona, was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

Even for the tech world, such conferences are hugely important since companies typically gather to network, forge connections, share the latest discoveries and innovations, and build partnerships.

Other summits have been sidelined as well, including Facebook’s F8 Developer Conference and Global Marketing Summit.

Google decided to hold its Google Cloud Next event online.

Not only did these cancellations mean fewer chances to network and build on partnerships there are definite benefits to person-to-person meetups and collaborations, but it also hurt the travel and tourism industries that reap the rewards from such events.

5G, Please

With more remote business, rolling out that next-generation 5G technology has never been more urgent.

With its higher speeds and connectivity, practically instantaneous  5G would dovetail nicely with telehealth and teleconferencing (for starters) to keep things operating swiftly and smoothly.

Telehealth allows physicians to consult with patients so long as they have the phone, pad, or computer and the right application to link up.

Teleconferencing options like Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts let companies and their workers keep connected.

In either case (or both) 5G will more easily facilitate these consultations and connections, rather than cutting people off or slowing them down.

Another refrain often heard as the pandemic spread was about people getting ready for their Zoom meeting.

That’s one area where the world has seen massive gains during COVID-19 (aside from hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment).

Videoconferencing and robots have thrived under the pandemic.

So has e-commerce, with online shopping, in particular, doing bonanza business during the pandemic.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is riding a second wave of sorts these days, too, and far beyond gaming.

It has applications for cognitive behavioral therapies like those found in an alcohol treatment program, but also for workplace training.

Nearly half of businesses surveyed by Perkins Coie have expressed a desire to use virtual reality and related tools to help workers keep skills current.

Prepared by Patrick O’Brien

Author Bio:

Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery.

He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them.

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