Social Distancing: The Companies That Are Helping
We are all feeling the change in our lives that COVID-19 has put upon us, with the outbreak of the Coronavirus virus forcing UK businesses to shut and employers furlough their workers as the UK Government enforces UK Lockdown rules to prevent the spread of the disease.
With many people wondering - "What does this mean for the UK economy after COVID-19?"
The truth of the matter is we just don't know, there will be a lot of data to analyse to help analysts try to predict the outcome but at the end of the day no one has a crystal ball to see into the future
This is the reason why the social distancing guidelines were laid out and implemented to help prevent further spread of the disease, in the hope that the virus rate of infection and death toll falls to enable the Coronavirus itself to dwindle out and die.
With the UK economy grinding to a halt and our economic growth coming to stand still, there is much uncertainty with what to expect in a post-COVID-19 world. While many businesses have had to shut their doors there are many that remain open but have had to dramatically adapt their business to the current situation we are all in.
Most British businesses will have felt the financial restriction that has been inflicted on them, for good reason. As many will try to make up for the loss of time and earning there will inevitably be many UK Businesses that will ultimately fail.
Am I Social Distancing Correctly?
One common concern is an ongoing question that is interpreted differently between people is "Am I social distancing correctly?"
We don't know how effective the advice from the government will be in schools and workplaces when they decide to lift Lockdown. One company may have the solution to this, WearableLink .
WearableLink had previously spent four years developing their device which clips on to hard hats. The device warns workers when they enter into areas where there is a hazard such as a manhole or a vehicle entering their safe zone.
When COVID-19 dropped on the UK it affected WearableLink in a massive way, for them it was the moment where they had to adapt. They adapted their technology to alert the wearer when another person comes into close proximity. This change has enabled WearableLink to adapt and pivot to the social distancing restrictions as their tech contributes by helping wearers stay safe.
Shopping Safely During Covid-19
Although the UK has enforced Lockdown measures, supermarkets have remained open by implementing social distancing policies.
Supermarkets have remained open during the lockdown but they are far from immune to the social distancing rules. They have implemented queuing markers and one-in, one-out systems that limit the number of customers in a store at one time.
One London-based tech company, Ubamarket, has sought to make them safer than they are and reduce the chances of the Coronavirus spreading further.
Its Scan, Pay, Go app guides users from aisle to aisle with its aisle sat nav. As Well as letting customers check store grocery levels before they visit the store. The app allows people to scan and purchase their items as they shop which reduces customer risk by eliminating the need of coming into contact with baskets, trolleys, and tills. Ubamarket is in these stores - Budgens, Londis and Spar.
Ubamarket founder Will Broome said that not enough was being done to combat the pandemic. Broome shares his views in an article on AboutManchester.co.uk.
"It is my hope that Britain’s retailers act quickly and realise the power of technology in combating the virus. We are committed to making this technology as easily accessible as possible and are proud to offer a solution which could have a huge impact in the fight against Covid-19”
Health And Fitness During Covid-19
The Coronavirus disease has forced gyms and fitness centers around the UK to close, the fitness fanatics and those concerned with their health and well-being scramble online to buy up what they can to ensure they stay in shape.
Home fitness was popular in the ’90s with televised workouts, many of you may remember Mr. Motivator in his tight spandex, things have changed considerably since the then. Technology has come along in leaps and bounds by the way of advancement since the 1990s by continually creating new and innovative ways to connect people, but with the Covid-19 Lockdown this has benefitted these companies and also allowed it’s users to keep up with their home fitness goals.
Zoom , the popular cloud-based peer-to-peer video chat platform primarily known for its use for meetings in the business world, has gone from strength to strength during Lockdown. As many desperately try to keep fit they have turned Zoom for online yoga and fitness classes to look after their health and physics. The fitness industry has had to pivot and re-invent itself and it has done this through using Zoom. Zoom has helped save fitness businesses in the UK and around the world as well as helping everyone to stay fit and healthy.
How Else Has Zoom Helped People Who Are Social Distancing?
Zoom has not only helped people with the home fitness goals it has also allowed people to communicate in a world that without technology would have become very lonely for many. It has spawned new daily fitness sessions, quizzes and, trivia nights. The Uk Parliament has been using Zoom, the Queen celebrated her 94th birthday via Zoom, even celebrities and, sports stars are getting in on the action in mass Zoom meetings. These Zoom meetings have turned into entertainment for fans around the world, watch this Zoom call between a whole host of NFL stars, actor Kevin Hart, Influencer Gary Vaynerchuk and, rapper Snoop Dogg - ‘NFL Draft-A-Thon’
Covid-19: Its Impact On The Nhs
With the spread of Coronavirus in the UK we have been hearing about the increased strain that the NHS has been put under. There have been 267 thousand confirmed cases and 37,500 deaths from the Coronavirus here in the Uk, this puts the UK death toll at the second-highest in the world. Hopefully, people realise from these figures just how much it has impacted the NHS and we must remember these are not just numbers but real people that have lost their lives!
One app called Vital has created the app C19 Check, which gives advice and guidance to people wanting to diagnose and manage their symptoms before even going into the hospital.
This app was created to alleviate the strain that has been put upon the NHS and assist those seeking advice and need help due to Covid-19 at this time.
Created by an emergency care doctor and the business brains behind financial juggernaut Mint.com, Vital combines Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing to help manage overwhelmed hospitals.
Covid-19 Scams On The Rise
Fraudsters are ever more opportunistic when an occurrence like a pandemic comes about, For many companies, a cybersecurity upgrade has had to be made in order for them to stay in business. Financial companies, law firms, and others dealing with highly-sensitive data have had to allow their employees to work from home to abide by UK Lockdown rules.
The issue that has arisen from this is having less secure networks spread out between multiple locations which are intrinsically harder to manage.
Onfido a technology company that helps businesses verify people's identities using a photo-based identity document, a selfie and, artificial intelligence algorithms, announced a $100m funding round which shows an industry that is thriving during Lockdown restrictions.
The heightened risks from hackers and nefarious actors have led to a rapid expansion of the cybersecurity sector.
Whether it is maintaining distance or protecting remote workers, tech will play an enormous role in the country emerging from the lockdown. Ensuring companies continue during the restrictions, albeit in a reduced role, is only the beginning.
We are all feeling the change in our lives that COVID-19 has put upon us, with the outbreak of the Coronavirus virus forcing UK businesses to shut and employers furlough their workers as the UK Government enforces UK Lockdown rules to prevent the spread of the disease.
With many people wondering - "What does this mean for the UK economy after COVID-19?"
The truth of the matter is we just don't know, there will be a lot of data to analyse to help analysts try to predict the outcome but at the end of the day no one has a crystal ball to see into the future
This is the reason why the social distancing guidelines were laid out and implemented to help prevent further spread of the disease, in the hope that the virus rate of infection and death toll falls to enable the Coronavirus itself to dwindle out and die.
With the UK economy grinding to a halt and our economic growth coming to stand still, there is much uncertainty with what to expect in a post-COVID-19 world. While many businesses have had to shut their doors there are many that remain open but have had to dramatically adapt their business to the current situation we are all in.
Most British businesses will have felt the financial restriction that has been inflicted on them, for good reason. As many will try to make up for the loss of time and earning there will inevitably be many UK Businesses that will ultimately fail.
Am I Social Distancing Correctly?
One common concern is an ongoing question that is interpreted differently between people is "Am I social distancing correctly?"
While many of us adhere to the social distancing guidelines, there are still people that aren't. But we are not all to blame! Some of us may get distracted, others may deem the two meters safety distance to be smaller than what it actually is.
There have been a number of companies that have embraced this moment in time by turning a negative into a positive as they adapt to the social distancing by, what is called the Pivot. It has been in a number of Tech companies where we have seen the most adaptability during the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.
Let's take a look at some of these companies that have pivoted whilst facing such adversity.
Let's take a look at some of these companies that have pivoted whilst facing such adversity.
We don't know how effective the advice from the government will be in schools and workplaces when they decide to lift Lockdown. One company may have the solution to this, WearableLink .
WearableLink had previously spent four years developing their device which clips on to hard hats. The device warns workers when they enter into areas where there is a hazard such as a manhole or a vehicle entering their safe zone.
When COVID-19 dropped on the UK it affected WearableLink in a massive way, for them it was the moment where they had to adapt. They adapted their technology to alert the wearer when another person comes into close proximity. This change has enabled WearableLink to adapt and pivot to the social distancing restrictions as their tech contributes by helping wearers stay safe.
Shopping Safely During Covid-19
Although the UK has enforced Lockdown measures, supermarkets have remained open by implementing social distancing policies.
Supermarkets have remained open during the lockdown but they are far from immune to the social distancing rules. They have implemented queuing markers and one-in, one-out systems that limit the number of customers in a store at one time.
One London-based tech company, Ubamarket, has sought to make them safer than they are and reduce the chances of the Coronavirus spreading further.
Its Scan, Pay, Go app guides users from aisle to aisle with its aisle sat nav. As Well as letting customers check store grocery levels before they visit the store. The app allows people to scan and purchase their items as they shop which reduces customer risk by eliminating the need of coming into contact with baskets, trolleys, and tills. Ubamarket is in these stores - Budgens, Londis and Spar.
Ubamarket founder Will Broome said that not enough was being done to combat the pandemic. Broome shares his views in an article on AboutManchester.co.uk.
"It is my hope that Britain’s retailers act quickly and realise the power of technology in combating the virus. We are committed to making this technology as easily accessible as possible and are proud to offer a solution which could have a huge impact in the fight against Covid-19”
Health And Fitness During Covid-19
The Coronavirus disease has forced gyms and fitness centers around the UK to close, the fitness fanatics and those concerned with their health and well-being scramble online to buy up what they can to ensure they stay in shape.
Home fitness was popular in the ’90s with televised workouts, many of you may remember Mr. Motivator in his tight spandex, things have changed considerably since the then. Technology has come along in leaps and bounds by the way of advancement since the 1990s by continually creating new and innovative ways to connect people, but with the Covid-19 Lockdown this has benefitted these companies and also allowed it’s users to keep up with their home fitness goals.
Zoom , the popular cloud-based peer-to-peer video chat platform primarily known for its use for meetings in the business world, has gone from strength to strength during Lockdown. As many desperately try to keep fit they have turned Zoom for online yoga and fitness classes to look after their health and physics. The fitness industry has had to pivot and re-invent itself and it has done this through using Zoom. Zoom has helped save fitness businesses in the UK and around the world as well as helping everyone to stay fit and healthy.
How Else Has Zoom Helped People Who Are Social Distancing?
Zoom has not only helped people with the home fitness goals it has also allowed people to communicate in a world that without technology would have become very lonely for many. It has spawned new daily fitness sessions, quizzes and, trivia nights. The Uk Parliament has been using Zoom, the Queen celebrated her 94th birthday via Zoom, even celebrities and, sports stars are getting in on the action in mass Zoom meetings. These Zoom meetings have turned into entertainment for fans around the world, watch this Zoom call between a whole host of NFL stars, actor Kevin Hart, Influencer Gary Vaynerchuk and, rapper Snoop Dogg - ‘NFL Draft-A-Thon’
Covid-19: Its Impact On The Nhs
With the spread of Coronavirus in the UK we have been hearing about the increased strain that the NHS has been put under. There have been 267 thousand confirmed cases and 37,500 deaths from the Coronavirus here in the Uk, this puts the UK death toll at the second-highest in the world. Hopefully, people realise from these figures just how much it has impacted the NHS and we must remember these are not just numbers but real people that have lost their lives!
One app called Vital has created the app C19 Check, which gives advice and guidance to people wanting to diagnose and manage their symptoms before even going into the hospital.
This app was created to alleviate the strain that has been put upon the NHS and assist those seeking advice and need help due to Covid-19 at this time.
Created by an emergency care doctor and the business brains behind financial juggernaut Mint.com, Vital combines Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing to help manage overwhelmed hospitals.
Covid-19 Scams On The Rise
Fraudsters are ever more opportunistic when an occurrence like a pandemic comes about, For many companies, a cybersecurity upgrade has had to be made in order for them to stay in business. Financial companies, law firms, and others dealing with highly-sensitive data have had to allow their employees to work from home to abide by UK Lockdown rules.
The issue that has arisen from this is having less secure networks spread out between multiple locations which are intrinsically harder to manage.
Onfido a technology company that helps businesses verify people's identities using a photo-based identity document, a selfie and, artificial intelligence algorithms, announced a $100m funding round which shows an industry that is thriving during Lockdown restrictions.
The heightened risks from hackers and nefarious actors have led to a rapid expansion of the cybersecurity sector.
Whether it is maintaining distance or protecting remote workers, tech will play an enormous role in the country emerging from the lockdown. Ensuring companies continue during the restrictions, albeit in a reduced role, is only the beginning.
Technology has become the saving grace in times of social distancing, helping to bridge the gap in education and entertainment, bringing people together, and helping to forge the human connections, which are more vital than ever in these uncertain times.
"If you know of any companies that are helping with Social Distancing during COVID-19 then let me know in the comments"
