Epidemiology: Calling the disease detectives

By Andy Extance and Catherine Smith2020-06-08T09:44:00

An image showing a collection of characters in the context of a world pandemic

Source: © Victoria Tentlev-Krylov

What is an epidemiologist? Inspire students with this fascinating insight into the world of some of the most powerful scientific detectives

There is so much we don’t yet know about Covid-19. Science can fill in this knowledge, and when it comes to disease, epidemiologists are the most powerful scientific detectives. They are busy looking at clues, including the virus’s biochemical makeup. It is their work that will help us to beat the virus. Share this article with your students and then give them the worksheet on the reproduction number. The calculations will help them understand how small changes can have a big impact on the spread of a virus.

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