(NEW YORK) — What started as a matter of necessity for many because of COVID-19 lockdowns, or just plain fear of venturing out during the pandemic, has become a way of life.  A new survey says Americans are having things delivered 60% more now than they did before the pandemic began. 

The non-scientific poll of 2,000 people, commissioned by Alarm.com, shows that the average American now gets 10 packages delivered a month, compared to just six a month before the pandemic began. 

Forty-eight percent of those surveyed cited the safety of shopping online as the main attraction, but nearly just as many, 44%, said it was the convenience. 

Because of the pandemic, the poll notes, people are more willing to shop online and order take-out than they ever were.  Thirty-seven percent now regularly buy clothing online, 27% have been ordering takeout, and 25% admitting to buying toilet paper online, a trend sparked by shortages early in the pandemic. 

More than half, 53%, of the Americans surveyed say they’ve supported a local business by ordering from it online. 

What’s more, because of the pandemic, 70% of the respondents say they appreciate delivery workers more than they did a year ago, seeing as how much they’ve been risking just to get customers the items they need.

The survey also exposed some interesting habits we’ve picked up because of the days in which we live.  For example, two out of five respondents say they wash their hands after handling packages, 33% disinfect delivery boxes before opening them, and 18% say they “leave their packages unopened for an extended period to allow germs to die.”

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