Demand for health gadgets soars amid lockdowns

Hong Kong/Beijing/Seoul/Tokyo – Fitness-tracking gadgets are selling out, home exercise classes have never been more popular and robotics crews are pivoting to making sanitation robots. The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered a seismic wave of health awareness and anxiety, which is energizing a new category of virus-fighting tech. The fear of infection has accelerated the adoption of apps and wearables as a means to feel better protected. "Having accurate and immediate feedback about our body temperature, blood pressure and other health signals helps to restore people's sense of control," said Andy Yap, a social psychologist at the INSEAD business school. Consumers, insurers and health-care providers are all seeing the benefit of the gadgets, in a shift expected to persist long after the outbreak subsides.