Are some companies benefiting from the global virus outbreak? – ECO0001 – Nori Nouchi

The ‘corona-virus’ was first detected in the province of Wuhan, China near the end of December 2019. Researchers have speculate that the outbreak was caused by the consumption of wild animals, most likely to have originated from bats. The virus is spread through bodily fluids and air-born particles just like other types of flu, the symptoms may differ depending on the severity but usually targets the upper respiratory system causing difficulty in breathing being especially fatal to those with weaker immune systems such as

Social media has become a big part in the world we live in today which is good, it gets the whole world connected and it is easier to spread vital information especially with a global outbreak like the corona-virus but this also has its negatives. Social media users are able to spread false information about this virus and it being such a hot topic it is able to gain a lot of attention very rapidly, this may cause unneeded commotion and panic, people are using scary and misleading titles to get more views on their articles.

There are some companies that greatly benefit from all this misinformation and that is the face mask companies, online sales have rose incredibly and stores have sold out on these because people were thought that it would help them keep safe of the virus, the scare of a potential global epidemic was enough to get people to purchase this product like it was a newly released apple product.

Some people have also taken advantage of this rise in demand for this product before others caught on and bought bulk packs of face masks from cheap online retailers such as Ebay and AliExpress to resell these products after they were sold out for tremendous amounts of profit.

Some more smaller companies have risen from the outbreak such as sanitising agent companies like Dettol and different sterilising companies as doctors have recommended the best way of avoiding the virus is to practice normal hygienic habits such as washing your hands with soap often.

The corona-virus outbreak has caused global economic downfall but there are some companies who have been lucky to come out unscathed, or even out on top. This also shows how rapid information spreads once a topic is trending on social media, and the power of social media and its affect on the economy.