Workers remain productive on home front

Liu has worked at the company, which is based in the capital's downtown and has more than 100 staff members, for five years.

She usually rises at 6:30 am and heads for the office an hour later. "I have a simple breakfast, put on some makeup and feed my cat－all in just an hour, which is very tight," she said, adding that she uses buses and the subway to get to work.

She said that during the morning rush hour on a bus, she can spend as long as an hour in traffic jams.

"I once dreamed of working from home, which is a privilege. Now, because of the outbreak, it has become a necessity," she said. "It's a good opportunity for me to test my efficiency and self-discipline. I don't have to wear any makeup, I don't have to change into my work clothes and I don't have to wash my hair every day.

"We are facing a crisis due to this outbreak, but looking on the bright side, we now have more time to spend with our families.

"It feels as if I'm returning to my high school days. After finishing my 'homework', I have dinner with my parents at home," said Liu, who usually hangs out with friends and colleagues after work.

Her company has asked staff members to report their health status twice a day, and has sent them information about epidemic prevention. They have also been told to report their whereabouts.

Liu's work, which involves coordinating with artists and performance venues, has been badly affected by the outbreak.

"Obviously, it's not easy for me to work alone, so doing so from home involves lots of phone calls, video chats and emails," she said. "A lot of our work usually involves employees gathering together, which we cannot do during the outbreak. We have some big projects, which involve collaborating with international artists, but we have had to put those plans on hold."

According to a report from Ding-Talk, internet giant Alibaba's business collaboration and communication platform, some 200 million people are working from home due to the outbreak. More than 10 million companies in China are using DingTalk to contact such employees.

The report also said that over 200 education bureaus in more than 20 provinces, including Guangdong, Henan and Shanxi, are using Ding-Talk to launch online courses for over 12 million students from some 20,000 middle and primary schools. To support this unprecedented demand, the company has added more cloud servers to facilitate videoconferences and live group broadcasts.