2020 has been a year like no other, and the whole world has been forced to adapt to a new way of life. With the closure of thousands of shops, restaurants, offices, and factories, businesses have had to get creative with their methods of continuing to reach out to customers. 

Dealing with a deadly virus and the subsequent lockdown and social distancing rules that followed has given us a newfound appreciation for the technologies, old and new, that are helping us through this time. Here are 6 of the most useful – many of which we wouldn’t be able to live without:

1. Online grocery shopping

Before 2020, online grocery shopping was popular, but nothing like it is today. Many of us have decided to avoid the shops altogether since the outbreak of the virus, and ordering our groceries online is the ideal solution. Online grocery shopping is particularly important to the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, who are more susceptible to getting severely ill with Coronavirus and have had to self-isolate to stay as safe as possible. 

2. Contactless payments

Those of us who are venturing into the outside world to do our shopping are now more grateful than ever before for contactless card functions. Rather than having to physically touch a keypad, contactless cards can simply be tapped onto the card reader, which triggers the machine to immediately process payment. We’ll probably see a lot more of contactless payment in the future – perhaps keying in a pin will soon become a thing of the past. 

3. Ventilators

There’s no denying that ventilators are one of the most important healthcare technologies of COVID-19. They have helped countless critically ill patients push through and recover when the otherwise may have died. Ventilators use oxygen sensors, like nellcor oximax disposable spo2 sensors, to detect the level of oxygen in a patient’s blood and deliver the amount that they need. A patient can use a ventilator for as long as is necessary. 

4. Telehealth

Telehealth has been around for many years now but has proved vital this year in offering essential medical care and treatment remotely while many doctors’ offices have been closed. Patients can wear portable devices that doctors can use to track their symptoms, and appointments can be arranged by telephone or over a video call. It’s now possible to get telehealth covered by insurance, but be sure to check if this is important to you. 

5. 3D printing

Never has 3D printing been more important than today. The PPE supply chain was hit hard when COVID spread uncontrollably around the world, and 3D printing technology was deployed to speed up the production process and help make equipment and gear available at the demand that was needed. 

6. Robotic devices

We’ve started to see robots taking over the roles of employees in the manufacturing industry, but they have proved incredibly important during the pandemic, too. Robots have been used for a number of purposes, including delivering food for people in quarantine and monitoring COVID-19 patients in hospital wards.