Pandemic a pain in the neck

It’s clear the pandemic took its toll on Americans’ eyes, backs and joints, according to an analysis of Google searches released Monday by Harmony Healthcare IT, which found a 40% increase in searches for all tech ailments since the start of COVID-19.

Since October of 2019, searches related to back pain from working at a computer increased by 142%, perhaps the result of Zoom work calls, Zoom happy hours and Zoom conferences, the analysis by the health data firm found.

There was also a 78% increase in searches related to eye strain from working at a computer.

Searches for the best desk chair for back pain skyrocketed by 392% and searches for the best office chair for back pain went up by 236% since October 2019. All that increased time on phones and computers didn’t come without a cost either: searches for headaches related to screen time increased by 255% over the same period.