Fight Against Covid-19: Implications for Businesses.

Covid-19 initiated in China has been spreading at lightning speed across the globe. Looking at the ground-zero conditions in major nations, positive cases are likely to increase in the coming days and weeks, as any infected person can spread the infection to many others. 

The world is now under a threat of a Coronavirus pandemic, as the cure of deadly virus still remains an enigma. The best possible way to reduce the count is to spread precautionary measures that work and not the misleading myths.

It is possible that a person can spread the infection before they know they are sick; this has not been proven for that specific virus. However, if it comes out to be accurate, it may be impossible to stop the spread quickly. That's why it is getting critical for companies to procure reliable information and take enough precautions to ensure that the lives of their employees are safe. 

What Dilemma are Companies facing?

During the corona outbreak, companies are struggling and facing different risks. The top challenges include:

• How to ensure employees' wellbeing?

Protect People

• How to support a supply chain that is falling?

Protect Cash Flows

• How to be proactive and control the damage?

Protect Reputation

 Many MNCs and local companies in big cities have declared to shut down the premises to minimize the spread, whereas others in smaller towns are still operational. Understandably, shutting down the operations is not as easy as it sounds, as they may not have sufficient infrastructure to support remote working. Organizations have to embrace the most effective approach to maintain business processes at this time. 

So, What Businesses and Companies can do in such a situation?

As a large mass of people and countries are affected by this new pandemic spread, so have conspiracy theories and baseless accusations. Social media sites, comprising Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, are all flooded with several false and misleading messages regarding Covid-19, such as;

• A false claim that the coronavirus is an engineered virus made in a laboratory
• Oregano oil proves effective against coronavirus, which is an unsupported claim
• Sale of unproven non-medical immunity enhancers to help people repel Covid-19
• Baseless recommendations for preventing infection by taking vitamin C and avoiding spicy foods

Organizations can release awareness messages and videos, asking your employees to check the authenticity of any information received on social media. The primary instructional videos can help them to stay vigilant and protected. 

Is wearing a mask useful?

Well, it all relies on the test cases.

It makes no sense to wear a face mask unless you are a caregiver who works with patients. Not all face covers protect against viruses and can also act as a barrier. A mask instantly gives a false sense of security and can pose additional risks; people often apply facial masks, which means they need to keep their hands close to their faces at all times. This increases the risk of infection.

However, as a company, you should ask people with typical cold and flu to wear a face mask. A mask prevents virus-infected droplets from entering the air because they get stuck in the mask if you are sick but do not have a face mask, sneeze, and cough in the elbow or use disposable tissues. Many companies are suggesting their employees stay at home even with minimum signs of a cold. 

Additionally, it has become crucial to invest in hygiene if you haven't yet. You must disinfect and sanitize the surroundings regularly without fail. And restrict non-essential travels.

Coronavirus has not only disrupted the wellbeing of millions of people around the globe but has also hindered the businesses in due course.

How Businesses Can Survive Corona Virus Pandemic through Technologies

As evident, people are avoiding direct person-to-person contact; the only thing that is left is the Internet, which has kept people connected so far.   

For Businesses, 

Go through these pointers to make your business more sustainable with these pioneering tech-driven solutions.

·      Remote working 

The majority of enterprises have announced a remote working facility for their employees as a precaution and contribution to curbing the virus spread. Collaborative platforms, VPN, high-speed internet connectivity, and enterprise mobile apps are helping employees to stay connected and remain equally productive when they work from home. With the help of enterprise mobile apps, they can complete their scheduled tasks within timeframe using any device of their choice, thus ensuring work is not hindered even when physical premises are shut down.

Companies are also assessing the bandwidth of the employed technologies and evaluating their preparedness to check business process continuity. BPC is crucial for organizations to stay relevant and responsive even at the time of crisis. Additionally, companies should take care of data privacy policies and ensure a high level of conformance from employees when they work remotely. 

Looking at the tech segment, technologies such as data science and artificial intelligence have played a key role in monitoring the spread. Businesses have started taking healthcare initiatives for their employees by involving clinicians and government entities.

·      Technologies working the double shift

Tech startups are more inclined towards innovating AI solutions to help diagnose viruses right at the initial stage. A company backed by Ant Financials in process healthcare claims through blockchain to restrict face-to-face interaction with hospitals and patients, "We have longtime claimed that future would be fully tech-driven. Well we have just started to live the futuristic technologies. The best example is the medicines supply by drones". 

·      Awareness

We know a lot less about the virus, and most of them are myths. So, as a brand, you can inform customers and your employees about how you work, how you want to deal with the situation, and what steps you take to ensure everyone's wellbeing. This will help your business stand out, but also help customers and employees to make the right action. 

·      Forecast demand

Orders are more expected to get changed, and everything you know about people so far may not be useful to you. You will need to work on a new set of data based on geographic location, the intensity of the virus, and changes in consumers' habits. This will help to understand how and what they will consume, plan demand accordingly, which can be drastic and high. However, if in case you miss the right ingredient that is anticipating the exact demand and need analysis, you may not be able to serve your customers effectively. Artificial intelligence, coupled with data analytics, can play a significant role in assessing market demand and help you to emerge as not only survivor but also winner during the crisis. 

So in a nutshell, 

Looking at the present situation around the globe, specifically, the dwindling economies here are a dire need of businesses charting a backup plan-of-action to make their operations work in such pandemic situations. The world is under threat; however, with pioneering technologies in every segment, we can beat this pandemic wave that is impacting the global human demographics.

Katalyst Technologies is a global leader in IT solutions with extensive experience. We can help you during this time if your business is facing peril during the pandemic. We offer state-of-the-art digital solutions that ensure a bright and secure future for your business. 

Let's get united against this global threat.