Video Chats and Ordering In: Coronavirus Quarantine With a Smartphone

February 19, 2020
Business

Laptops, tablets and smartphones are allowing people in quarantine to work at their jobs remotely, order food, shop on Amazon, chat face-to-face with friends and loved ones, keep up with social media feeds, download movies and music — in short, to stay engaged in the world and fulfill many activities of their regular lives.

Karey Maniscalco, an American real estate agent who was quarantined with her husband, Roger, on the same cruise ship, found isolation surprisingly busy. “The last couple of days, we’ve been just catching up on work online, and doing a lot of Facebooking,” she said in an interview last week, before the U.S. government evacuated most American passengers from the ship and flew them back to the United States, where they will continue to be quarantined. “Our inboxes are constantly full. Keeping up on social media is surprisingly very time consuming.” She started posting TikTok videos to stave off what she said could be “overwhelming” emotion. “I woke up realizing that I’m still here and just started crying.” Engaging on social media, she said, “keeps me too busy to sit and dwell, I guess.”

What do you need to know? Start here.

Updated Feb. 10, 2020
- What is a Coronavirus?
  It is a novel virus named for the crown-like spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people, and can cause a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to more dangerous conditions like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.
- How contagious is the virus?
  According to preliminary research, it seems moderately infectious, similar to SARS, and is possibly transmitted through the air. Scientists have estimated that each infected person could spread it to somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 people without effective containment measures.
- Where has the virus spread?
  The virus originated in Wuhan, China, and has sickened tens of thousands of people in China and at least two dozen other countries.
- How worried should I be?
  While the virus is a serious public health concern, the risk to most people outside China remains very low, and seasonal flu is a more immediate threat.
- Who is working to contain the virus?
  World Health Organization officials have praised China’s aggressive response to the virus by closing transportation, schools and markets. This week, a team of experts from the W.H.O. arrived in Beijing to offer assistance.
- What if I’m traveling?
  The United States and Australia are temporarily denying entry to noncitizens who recently traveled to China and several airlines have canceled flights.
- How do I keep myself and others safe?
  Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick.

In China, Isabel Dahm, 22, has been able to see her cats and dog back home in Minnesota through chats with her father, Bob Dahm, using an app, WeChat. She is in Zhejiang province, where she’s been teaching English since November and is now largely relegated to her apartment under semi-quarantine.

“I think if this was happening in the Middle Ages, I would’ve actually gone insane weeks ago,” Ms. Dahm said by email.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/health/coronavirus-quarantine-smartphone.html