Benefits of a pandemic

We live in scary times. The coronavirus has dominated the headlines the past few weeks. People are dying around the world. Sports events, conferences, concerts, and other gatherings are getting canceled. The stock market plunged. Disneyland closed. While there's certainly a lot of negative impact from this current pandemic, I wanted to take a look at some of the silver linings.

1. Public places are less crowded - I do hope that businesses that are currently suffering from the pandemic see a rebound soon. That said, I'm enjoying the fact that public places I normally go to (gym, library, restaurants) are less crowded than normal. The anti-social introvert in me can get used to not being around too many people. :-)
2. Working from home - The company I work for recently recommended that we work from home. While there are pros and cons to working from home, on the whole, I'm liking it so far. The biggest benefit for me is not having to take the commute train anymore. Not only does that save two hours of my time each day, but the train was a health hazard even before the coronavirus!
3. More focus on cleanliness - Yes, we should've been washing our hands all along, but it's nice to see that everyone is now more concerned about cleanliness. Restaurants, hotels, and airlines I've patronized have also sent me emails assuring me of their cleaning policies (although the fact that so many businesses have my email address is cause for a different kind of concern). If there's one thing that I hope the pandemic leaves us with, it's a renewed emphasis on cleanliness.
4. More time to read (and write) - Going out less? Don't have to commute to work anymore? All of that adds up to more time at home, and what better way to spend that time than reading! It's too soon for me to notice yet, but I do plan to take advantage of this period of "social distancing" to read more and to catch up on writing.

What has it been like for you during the coronavirus situation? How are you coping?
Stay safe, everyone!