Technology 3 min read

Why Online Video Chat Matters During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Artem Tryhub / Shutterstock.com

Artem Tryhub / Shutterstock.com

Online video chat is the process of communicating with anyone on the Internet using webcams or special software.

As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc across the world, video chatting has become an essential part of our lives today. It’s no surprise since many countries are now implementing social distancing.

Early studies showed that COVID-19‘s R0 (R naught) ranges from 2 to 2.5. R0 pertains to the number of people a sick person could infect in a group with no immunity to the virus.

Meaning, SARS-CoV-2, or the new strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is more contagious than the influenza virus that causes seasonal flu.

To date, over 720,000 people around the world have already contracted COVID-19. And out of the figure, 34,000 have succumbed to their deaths.

In a world where we have limited social interactions, online video chat offers excellent comfort.

Why Practice Social Distancing?

Social distancing is a critical factor in containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

If you haven’t heard of it yet, there are people infected by COVID-19 that show mild or no symptoms of the disease. People with this condition are known as asymptomatic.

Some of them are not even aware that they’re carrying the virus, spreading it from one person to another. By limiting your social contact, you can become a broken link in this chain of contagion.

Maximizing the use of Online Video Chat

Thanks to video chat, social distancing has become bearable for millions of people nowadays. It has allowed families and friends to see each other, and companies run their businesses.

Video chatting offers a different kind of comfort than the usual text messaging. Nothing beats seeing the familiar faces of people closed to your heart when you’re on quarantine, right?

Video chat’s face-to-face communication also enabled people to work efficiently from the comforts of their home. With video conferencing, managers could meet with their teams and continue to drive productivity.

In some countries, some doctors also use messaging apps and video chat to assess patients and give medical advice.

Now, if you still don’t know what application to use, here’s a quick list of the best video chatting apps to date.

Google Meet – a video conferencing app that you can use both on your desktop or mobile phone. The free version of the app can support video calls with up to 25 people.

Google Duo – a video chat app developed by Google. It’s available on both Android and iOS devices and supports video calls with up to 8 people.

Skype – a computer and mobile device telecommunications application. Skype offers free messaging, video chat, and voice calls. You can use Skype to video call up to 50 people all at once.

FaceTime – a video and voice call application exclusively developed by Apple for its iOS devices. Through Group FaceTime, you can video call up to 32 Apple device users at the same time.

Messenger – a communications app developed by Facebook that offers messaging, voice, and video call features. Facebook Messenger supports video chat with up to 50 people.

Final Words

Social distancing is a must during this trying time. But, it doesn’t mean that you should stop yourself from communicating with your family members and friends.

Now is the time to support each other. Take advantage of our current online communication technologies. Video call your loved ones and don’t forget to give them virtual hugs.

Read More: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the E-Commerce Market

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Chelle Fuertes

Chelle is the Product Management Lead at INK. She's an experienced SEO professional as well as UX researcher and designer. She enjoys traveling and spending time anywhere near the sea with her family and friends.

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