As the blockages begin to loosen in many countries, so does the attempt to return to work, leaving people understandably concerned about how safe a space will be in an office in the midst of a global pandemic.
Alongside some old moldy foods in common refrigerators, there is likely to be an increase in the amount of technology used to monitor employees.
From thermal imaging cameras that measure your temperature when you enter the building to wearable apps or devices to warn you if you get too close to colleagues, work may soon have the feel of the movie Report on minorities.
The Edge in Amsterdam was voted one of the most intelligent and sustainable buildings in the world a few years ago and is adapting its sensor-filled offices to the new reality of living with a contagious and potentially life-threatening virus.
Coen van Oostrom, the founder of the real estate company that built it, told the BBC that there are a couple of "effortless" changes that can take place immediately.
Air quality
"At the moment the doors can be opened by hand but it is a small step to be able to open them via voice control or through an app, and we want to do it to make sure that the virus does not spread that way.
"We also have cameras that can see how many people are on a floor and with a software update they are also able to measure the distance between people and we can send an alert to people's phones if they are too close to each other .
"Not everyone likes it and it feels like it's an intrusion into their privacy, so we haven't decided yet if we want to use it when everyone is back in the office."
The Edge, unlike most buildings, already provides employees with a phone app that allows them to see at what temperature the office is and what the air quality is, as well as allowing them to order lunch from the canteen .
Adoption has not been huge. While no one really cared about air quality in the past, now that the chances of spreading the virus are higher if not enough fresh air circulates, people may start to take note of it, Van Oostrom thinks.
Seating plans will also need to change to ensure enforcement of social removal rules, but Susan Clarke, an expert on smart buildings with research firm Verdantix, believes employers are unlikely to radically change their working practices.
"The hot-desking will remain and, given the recession in which we are moving at the moment, most companies will not be able to take up more space - but it could be rethought, just as a person comes out of a desk, a the order is assigned to that area so that a cleaner can disinfect. "
Some lighting firms, such as Vital Vio, offer what they describe as safe disinfection lighting, which uses purple light mixed with white light to kill certain bacteria on surfaces. While these could be useful in very high-occupancy hotels or offices, the expense may not be justifiable for many businesses, thinks Clarke.
Temperature test
Flir Technology has been producing thermal cameras for use in airports and police helicopters for years, but has seen exponential growth in recent months.
Now the company sees the interest of factories and companies.
"Basically, every sector that needs to protect its workers and customers," said Ezra Merrill, Flir vice president of marketing for Flir.
The cameras measure a five-millimeter square area near the tear duct, which was judged the best place to record skin temperature. Users who wear glasses must remove them.
Its algorithms take into account a number of factors, such as the time of day, whether it's sunny or raining, as well as the fact that people have a normal body temperature range.
But the device is only part of the puzzle and a second step would be to measure a person's temperature using a medical-grade thermometer, Merrill said.
The technology was recently tested in a U.S. factory, where employee reaction was mixed.
"It was a full range as you would expect, from people who were excited and happy to do it to those who thought they had a retinal scan."
In fact the camera doesn't take a picture at all and you can't identify people from the picture, but Merrill acknowledges that there may be privacy concerns. And in some places it could be illegal.
"Some countries prohibit monitoring of employee health. In Italy, for example, there are laws that stipulate that health cannot be monitored and that include parameters such as temperature," said Clarke.
Best coffee
Lawyer Ravi Naik said that companies must be careful not to use "technology for the sake of technology".
"Is this to facilitate the understanding of who can work and who cannot, and if not what is the meaning of it? Why is it such an interference with basic human rights that there must be a high level of evidentiary justification to distribute this technology , and I just don't think that's the case now. "
The radical long-term solution could involve not having to absolutely enter a building.
Barclays Bank CEO Jes Staley said having thousands of workers in large and expensive city offices "could be a thing of the past" as the era of freezing housework shows that many can do their jobs perfectly at home.
As a real estate developer, Mr. van Oostrom obviously disagrees.
Do you think we will see a hybrid model with more people working from home and that employers must "seduce people to get into the office".
"Making offices fun places to be will be more important than ever," he said.
