Mobile Game Downloads Skyrocket Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
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Millions of Chinese have resorted to mobile games to keep themselves occupied after being forced to stay indoors due to fears of the coronavirus contagion, according to an article by The Jakarta Post.

Data from app analytics firm Sensor Tower showed that global mobile game downloads skyrocketed to 39 percent in February, attributing a major portion of the boost to China.

Additionally, Apple's App Store in China said game downloads alone has jumped 62 percent.

According to data from mobile app analytics firm App Annie, the average weekly game downloads in China had jumped 80 percent in the first three weeks of February compared with the average weekly download for the whole of 2019.

Records show that around the globe, there were 4 billion mobile game downloads in 2019, up from 2.9 billion a year earlier. According to Sensor Tower data, there has been 46 percent jump to 1.6 billion in Asia last month.

App Annie said puzzle games like "Brain Out" and Tencent's online battle game, "Honor of Kings", were among the most downloaded mobile games in Chinas.

Gamers also spent a long period of time playing Tencent's "Game For Peace", a PUBG-like game for the Asian market, which topped the mobile app charts in China. Meanwhile in South Korea, "Lineage 2", a multi-player role playing game, earned the highest rank in user spending in South Korea.

"Gaming has been one of the main beneficiaries in terms of increased time spent due to quarantine," Stephens analyst Jeff Cohen wrote in a note to clients on Monday. According to Cohen, game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. is expected to benefit from the trend.

The coronavirus emerged in the city of Wuhan, province of Hubei late last year and since then, it has spread around the world, killing more than 3,000 people globally. As of writing, there are already more than 100,200 cases around the world, over 80,500  of which is in China.        

Infectious disease outbreaks, like the current Coronavirus (Covid 19), can be scary and immensely affect one's mental health. Aside from staying informed, you also need to support and manage your wellbeing during self-isolation or quarantine.

Experts say that stress can dampen your immune response. The more you stress, the more vulnerable you can become to viruses.

A Mental Health Foundation article has advised people in self-isolation or are in quarantine to try and see it as a different period of time in your life, and not necessarily a bad one. 

The period would mean a different rhythm of life, a chance to be in touch with others in different ways than usual. That is why it is important to keep in touch with other people regularly through social media, e-mail or on the phone, as they are still good ways of being close to the people who matter to you.  

The Mental Health Foundation added that you can create a daily routine that prioritizes self-care. Aside from playing mobile games, you could try to read more or watch movies, have an exercise routine, try new relaxation techniques, or find new knowledge on the internet.