It is hard to see many upsides from the coronavirus crisis. But forced innovation in the delivery of online education and health care will almost certain turn out to be one, and an area that will benefit emerging Asian economies in particular.
UNESCO said on March 5 that nearly 300 million children were now off school worldwide, a number that is already likely to have risen as more countries battle virus outbreaks. Thousands of colleges and universities are affected too, with a wave of institutions including Harvard and Stanford canceling in-person lectures and replacing them with virtual meetings using video platforms such as Google Classroom or Skype. As it spreads, coronavirus is set to become the largest peacetime disruption to education in recent human history.
