In our society entirely focused on communication, digital accelerates everything. For more than a week, the spread of the coronavirus has intensified by an even greater spread of this news on the web, creating a snowball effect. Data is recovered, repeated, diverted. Among the confused elements, tech has known its share of mystery: some have come to fear orders for packages from the giants of Chinese e-commerce.
AliExpress, become the symbol of fears
The coronavirus has been coming back to Twitter every day for over a week, among the most used hashtags. But in France, for the past week, another key word has appeared: AliExpress. As a symbol of fears of transmission of the epidemic, the online shopping platform, owned by the Chinese Alibaba, has drawn doubts and fears.
The trend quickly gained momentum, and the fear of packages from China reached many people, as did all sales platforms (Amazon, Wish, etc.). In view of the global coverage and impact of the epidemic, it is certain that such a trend could have big repercussions in the world of tech, being one of the main sales of these giants of e-commerce. .
The subject is not intended to lead to debate on these platforms. But it remains interesting to put an end to doubts and false ideas. By interviewing various scientists, the media came to a common conclusion: no, packages from China are not infected with the coronavirus.
An “exaggerated” fear
Between China and Europe, the delivery of your package may have two possibilities: the air route and the sea route. In the first case, several hours are required to send the package. In the second, it will even take days.
At the Lille University Hospital, doctor specializing in virology Anne Goffard was contacted by the Franceinfo information verification service. “This fear is exaggerated”, said the specialist, before explaining that no one “The virus is not yet well known, but the coronaviruses remain virulent in the air for a short time. They have to be in a living being to multiply “.
On a journey as long as that from China, the surfaces of packages cannot therefore be likely to carry the epidemic elsewhere, even though the orders were initially affected by individuals carrying the virus. The conditions and their variations could not allow a virus to resist, and even less to develop: “The virus is too fragile. It degrades in a few hours on contact with air “, continued Anne Goffard.
The response from the Ministry of Health
On Monday January 27, the Ministry of Solidarity and Health issued an official statement regarding the epidemic and packages from China. Government response was to qualify risks as extremely low : “Given the times and conditions of transport, the risk of being infected by touching an object imported from China is considered to be extremely low”, the ministry said in a note.
The scientific community shares this opinion, and other specialists have been able to give their point of view in the press. This is particularly the case of Pierre Talbot, director of the neuro-immuno-virology laboratory of the National Institute of Scientific Research in Quebec. Man has chosen to distinguish between environments hostile or not to the development of viruses. “It can survive in the liquid medium a few days at most, but it only survives a few hours on inert dry surfaces”, he said, referring to the materials in a package.
Whether by plane or boat, transportation is a real barrier to the spread of the coronavirus through online shopping from China © Unsplash / Tyler Casey
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Coronavirus: what impact on tech?
Social media is one of those instances where the coronavirus epidemic is benefiting from activity and interaction. But the current virus discovered in China since the end of 2019 could nevertheless have negative consequences on tech.
Besides the routing, fueled by false beliefs, brands have reason to worry about their Chinese suppliers. Yesterday, a site report Nikkei made by a potential delay announced at Apple, concerning the production of its iPhone 11 and the release of its iPhone SE 2.
Nothing has been officially confirmed yet, either from the apple brand or one of its suppliers. But by producing its products in a province bordering with the epicenter of the epidemic, the consequences on the sectors of activity could very quickly be heard in tech. This time, it will not be a story of delivery, but of the conditions and safety of the employees.
