COVID-19: Pandemics, Modelling, and Policy

Discover the role forecasts and computer models play in understanding pandemics

With the world in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a surge of interest in scientific modelling of the outbreak.

On this course, you’ll explore the social, economic, and political factors in the spread of a pandemic such as COVID-19, examining how scientists try to forecast the spread and severity of epidemics, and what we can and can’t know.

You’ll use interactive graphical programs to explore the dynamics of epidemics, learning how to critique the underlying models, and how science and computer models can support policymakers in times of pandemic crisis.

This course is for anyone wanting to make sense of the conflicting information around COVID-19. This includes scientists, health professionals, policy planners, or just interested citizens.