Course Description

Emerging microbial pathogens are of increasing concern both nationally and internationally with the potential to cause widespread morbidity and mortality at an unprecedented level. The current outbreak of COVID-19 provides evidence that unknown microbial agents have the ability to emerge from their natural hosts to spread, adapt, and cause disease on a global scale. This course will investigate the microbiological, environmental, and social factors that contribute to emergence of novel coronavirus outbreaks (SARS, MERS, COVID-19), and review the basic biology, diagnostics, immunology, potential therapies, and preventive strategies necessary to control and prevent these outbreaks.  

Credentials:

This course may apply toward the Biomedical Sciences Curiosity interdisciplinary badge.

Course Learning Objectives:

• Describe the basic biology, pathogenesis and epidemiology of novel coronaviruses
• Review the laboratory methods used to identify and study these pathogens
• Discuss the environmental factors that allow for emergence of novel coronaviruses.