How the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way we use technology

We are waging a battle against an invisible enemy. COVID-19 is changing our world in ways we could never have previously imagined—not just in terms of social distancing, closing of non-essential shops and services, and our subsequent social isolation. We are learning of this virus’ impact on our world through various sources – including television, radio, social media platforms and even chatting to our neighbours over the fence. This pandemic has probably changed our world forever.

At the time of publication, Johns Hopkins Hospital Corona Virus Resource Centre (2020) cited mortality rates at the lowest end at 4.1% (Germany) and 15.7% at the highest (Belgium), with the UK an uncomfortably close second at 15.6%. Despite such depressing statistics, we should also remember that, for most people, this appears to be a minor self-limiting illness from which the majority of patients recover. The continuous and apparently unrelenting news of rising virus-related deaths and infection rates leaves us feeling rather depressed. Observing the leadership skills—or lack thereof—of the world’s politicians further compounds our feelings of helplessness and frustration.