BIOL 31800: The COVID-19 Pandemic

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Catalog

The course will cover the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2. It will provide a window onto the intersection of science and society and the challenges created when leaders and the populace are inadequately informed. We will explore the biology of the virus and the disease caused by it. The primary literature will be reviewed with the aim of critically evaluating data and understanding the basis of inferences or lack thereof. Vaccine and antiviral approaches will be discussed. Historical approaches to pandemics, comparative analyses of responses by countries and states, investigations into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, and various conspiracy theories will be topics of deliberation. We will see how achieving scientific understanding is a dynamic process. The COVID-19 scientific literature will be dissected with a focus on publication ethics. Students will each make an oral presentation and write an essay on a relevant topic thereby allowing them to fulfill graduation requirements. These assignments will require the demonstration of the capacity to report data, organize the material, and convey it using formal English. All sources will need to be documented and assessed for credibility. The initial tranche of classes will be lectures by the Professor with discussion. Most of the remaining classes will be student presentations on assigned topics with moderation by the Professor. Guest lectures by appropriate experts will also be included.

Course BIOL 318 from Purdue University - West Lafayette.