(Yicai Global) Feb. 13 -- Online sales of tablets and printers on China's main e-commerce platforms have surged recently as schools in Jiangsu province, Beijing and Shanghai roll out online learning to help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus from Wuhan, which has claimed over 1,300 lives to date.

Sales of printers for learning aids more than doubled from Jan. 25 to Feb. 11, China Securities News cited e-commerce market operator Suning.Com as saying. The platform has also seen a rise in sales of computers, tablets and other learning-related equipment, including Apple's iPad and Huawei's MatePad.

A customer service worker at a store on Taobao also told the news outlet that it was also selling a lot more printers and similar products, saying they were sourcing products from new suppliers in order to meet demand.

Many offline stores being closed also helped boost online sales, the report added.

Editor: James Boynton