Two attendees at RSA tech conference in San Francisco stricken with COVID-19

The coronavirus could make remote work the norm, what businesses need to know
The coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak could be the catalyst for a dramatic increase in telecommuting. Enterprises should prepare for an increase in remote work and the long-term effects on marketing budgets, corporate travel, and commercial real estate values.

RSA confirmed this afternoon that two attendees at its popular security conference, which ran from Feb. 24-28 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, have tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. There were 36,000 attendees at the event. 

The event’s organizers issued a statement: “Out of an abundance of caution we are sharing the following information with the RSAC community. We learned that two individuals who attended RSA Conference 2020 have recently tested positive for COVID-19. Currently, there is not a known direct link or official governing body communicating back to RSA Conference that these individuals had symptoms at Conference or attended during the incubation period. We are sharing this information with our RSA Conference attendees and have contacted appropriate health authorities. We will continue to share information as we have it.”

SEE: Coronavirus having major effect on tech industry beyond supply chain delays (free PDF) (TechRepublic)    

The two people stricken with COVID-19 are cybersecurity company employees who attended an annual industry conference last month in San Francisco have tested positive for the coronavirus. At least one is seriously ill with respiratory issues and is a medically induced coma in his home state of Connecticut, according to Bloomberg News. 

SEE: RSA: What it’s like to attend a tech conference during the coronavirus epidemic (TechRepublic)

Tech conferences canceled around the globe

Many people had expected RSA to cancel, after
many other tech conferences cancelled in the early days
of the spread of the coronavirus. Even at the time RSA began on February 24, Mobile World Congress, which was also slated for late February, had already announced its plans to cancel back on February 12. And Facebook pulled out of its Global Marketing Summit scheduled for San Francisco. That was quickly followed by near-daily announcements of companies pulling out of conferences or trade shows being postponed or flat-out cancelled. 

At this time, there have been more than 113,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 4,000 people have died.  There are 732 cases and 26 deaths in the United States, including presumptive positive cases. And the entire country of Italy is on lockdown with 60 million residents under restrictions. 

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Also see 

• The latest cancellations: How the coronavirus is disrupting tech conferences worldwide  (TechRepublic)
• The tech pro’s guide to video conferencing (TechRepublic download)
• Coronavirus domain names are the latest hacker trick (TechRepublic)
• Coronavirus: Critical IT policies and tools every business needs(TechRepublic Premium)
• As coronavirus spreads, here’s what’s been canceled or closed (CBS News)
• Coronavirus: Effective strategies and tools for remote work during a pandemic (ZDNet)
• How to track the coronavirus: Dashboard delivers real-time view of the deadly virus (ZDNet)
• Coronavirus and COVID-19: All your questions answered (CNET)
• Coronavirus: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

Article source: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/two-attendees-at-rsa-tech-conference-in-san-francisco-stricken-with-covid-19/#ftag=RSS56d97e7