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In offices across Asia, desks are empty and the phones are quiet, as the region grapples with a deadly virus.

In major hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore, shops are shuttered, public facilities are closed, and there are few people wandering the usually-bustling financial districts, CNN reports.

Instead, millions of people are holed up in their apartments, in what may be the world's biggest work-from-home experiment.

For some employees, like teachers who have conducted classes digitally for weeks, working from home can be a nightmare.

But in other sectors, this unexpected experiment has been so well received that employers are considering adopting it as a more permanent measure. For those who advocate more flexible working options, the past few weeks mark a possible step toward widespread -- and long-awaited -- reform.

The novel coronavirus outbreak, which began in Wuhan, China, in December, has now infected more than 70,500 people and killed 1,770, the vast majority in mainland China.