Coronavirus is causing more people to work from home or remotely, surge in Zoom and Slack interest

The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, is sending ripple effects around the world, including a push for more people to work remotely, while health organizations work to contain and treat the outbreak.After a recent spike in cases outside of China, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging Americans to ask their schools and workplaces about contingency plans, like working from home, in case they have to shut down over coronavirus. A spike in stock price for companies that specialize in “health care, bunker food, and gold is fairly typical when people are running to safety,” Nick Mazing, director of research at Sentieo, said.At this time, stocks for workplace software like Zoom and Slack, which aid in remote work, also seem to be doing well, though it’s always difficult to tell if that might be due to other factors.