The world was a happy place until it came. It is so powerful that even the strongest nations fear it. It has affected aviation, economy and education.

It is the coronavirus aka COVID-19 virus.

Coronavirus symptoms range from common cold to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

With its outbreak, the world has now become an uncharted territory.

“COVID19 could infect 60% of the global population if unchecked”

- Prof Gabriel Leung

The only continent where the coronavirus has not reached yet is Antarctica, but let’s be real, it is not suitable for human life which means the deadly virus has reached every corner of the world.

Safety guidelines for COVID-19:

The coronavirus is deadly but you need not panic as the death rate is between 2%-5%. Although there is no fixed cure to the coronavirus, chances of recovery are high.

The major concern while dealing with coronavirus is that it spreads quickly. As it is believed that prevention is better than cure, here we’ve listed out the preventive measures for coronavirus as issued by the WHO:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds. Or use hand sanitizers with an alcohol base.

• Avoid social gatherings.

• Maintain distance from people having symptoms like flu, cough, and cold.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as hands come in contact with many surfaces.

• If you show symptoms, seek early medication.

• Sneeze and cough with your elbow bent, or use a tissue and wash your hands after usage.

Consumer psychology about coronavirus:

The novel coronavirus has created a “fear of missing out “(FOMO). People are stocking all necessary items but their top pick is toilet paper rolls. The supermarket shelves are being cleared of the toilet paper. Consequently, #toiletpapercrisis “hashtag” is trending on twitter.

We have always heard the news about burglars taking away valuable things such as cash or jewelry. But thanks to coronavirus, there was a report from Hong Kong that armed gang stole 600 toilet rolls. Police have to intervene in the fights related to toilet paper.

Face masks and hand sanitizers are also being picked quickly.

According to psychologists, control is the fundamental need and due to the spread of coronavirus people are losing their sense of control.

Thus in this hour of a global epidemic, rational buying should be promoted.

In the same manner, people are either experiencing a halt or feeling a sense of urgency in doing almost everything.

Sprintzeal, a global training provider offering certifications and courses to working professionals,  personally experienced the sudden upsurge in the professional development sector.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve recorded a steep fall in an in-person classroom-based training and a hike in the Live Online Classroom mode of training taken up by candidates. The coronavirus has affected the market and the effects are paradoxical in nature.

While many IT companies are facilitating their employees to work from home, many working professionals are making the most of their time. With zero commute time and an increase in time for self, they are considering getting trained in new courses, taking up online training and focusing on making new additions to their skillsets.

Having enough time in hand has encouraged working professionals to take a step ahead to enhance their careers. Certifications have long been an employee’s go-to when aiming for a promotion, hike or even a slight advancement in his/her career. Working remotely allows them to finish up work on time and spend the rest of the hours productively by learning skills that contribute to their professional career.

From project management professionals opting for a PMP certification, data enthusiasts taking up Big Data training, professionals working quality management showing interest in six sigma courses, agile managers brushing up their skills with scrum training, IT security employees learning advanced cybersecurity courses and employees working in cloud computing domain taking up the AWS training, with an upsurge in the threat from COVID-19, smart professionals are making the most out of this crisis.

Tell us what you think? We have faith in our doctors and researchers. We are hopeful that the final cure will be found and we will be free from the threat of COVID-19 very soon.

But, as a working professional, it is our responsibility to help spread the word of caution and educate others about how we can protect ourselves by following some good hygiene practices.

It is our responsibility to ensure there is no panic, misuse or misinformation about the breakout. Instead, we need to empower others to handle the situation positively by making the most of our time and learn new skills or investing time in doing productive work.

If you like the above thought, kindly like and share it with others. Or link it with your existing content to spread the word.

Have you been asked to work from home? Tell us your story.

Would you be interested in upskilling by taking up training and getting certified? let us know. 

Sprintzeal wishes everyone to stay safe and healthy.