The coronavirus is currently spreading at an incredibly rapid rate all over China, which has led to a surge in the number of new cases in many other countries. This is not the first fatal virus which has spread like wildfire all over the world.
For many years now, China has been leading the world in technological adoption and development and has essentially become a hub for manufacturing, especially when it comes to technology. The world’s most prominent telecom vendors have their manufacturing plants there. It has become obvious that, in the long run, this may have some detrimental repercussions on the global economy and especially in the technology market. Most device makers – if not all - are either Chinese firms or China-based.
The ICT sector has been affected already. Foxconn recently announced the shutdown of its facilities to prevent the spread of the virus which means that the production of iPhones has stopped for the time-being. There have been no other announcements of this sort from other companies but if the spread of the epidemic persists, the global economy will be affected.
The spread of this virus has shown us that we are all living in one world and has emphasized the extent of our increasingly globalized society.
All we can do is hope for the best for the Chinese people and the rest of the affected world, and put our trust in technology and the advancements it has brought society including to find the best vaccinations and cures as soon as possible.
It is important to remember that discrimination is not the answer. This is a humanitarian issue and the world must come together to combat the epidemic.