Virology and Epidemiology in the Time of COVID-19

This course covers the science and social impacts of viral infectious diseases. We will begin by covering the basics: what a virus is, the structural and functional diversity of viruses, and how viruses use our bodies and the bodies of other organisms to replicate. Then we will dive into the human response: how our immune systems work to protect us from pathogenic viruses and how we use science and social systems to fend off viruses through vaccines and public health measures. We will look closely at the COVID-19 pandemic, examining the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the development of the…