With 50 cases of coronavirus now confirmed in the UK and more likely to emerge in the coming days, it is no surprise to see industry experts predicting that consumers will choose to carry out safe shopping online in larger numbers across the country and around the world while this pandemic is brought under control.

The prospect of heading to high street stores to make purchases is far less appealing at a time when people are more likely to be exposed to potential infection when mingling with others, whereas ordering online has the benefit of minimising this risk.

The Seattle Times reports that some industry analysts are worried about how this will impact retail as a whole, not just in terms of the fall in sales that bricks and mortar chains are likely to experience but also due to the added strain that this will put on the home delivery firms.

In particular, it is the drivers of delivery vehicles who are being seen as invaluable in this context, not just because they will allow retailers to fulfil the increase in orders but also because it will be important to make sure that they avoid contracting the virus themselves.

There is the expectation that delivery drivers will be instructed to take greater precautions to protect themselves, using hand sanitizer between each drop-off and making sure to disinfect any objects that come in contact with customers.

It may seem like these measures are a little extreme, but the situation surrounding the coronavirus has proven to be a serious challenge, and with tens of thousands of cases reported in various regions and a rising death toll, it is clear that more needs to be done to stop it harming a greater proportion of the global population.