Johns Hopkins will offer a free online course about the coronavirus pandemic and how it can be combatted through epidemiology. Offered publicly on the e-learning platform Coursera, the five-hour course is now open for enrollment and runs March 31 through April 14.

This free, beginner-level course is designed for those who want a better understanding of how epidemiologists identify and measure infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19. The course aims to explore the science behind pressing questions such as how many people have been infected, how infections are identified and measured, how infectious is the virus, and what can be done to combat it.

The course is led by three epidemiologists from the Bloomberg School of Public Health:

Gypsyamber D'Souza, professor of epidemiology

Justin Lessler, associate professor of epidemiology

Emily Gurley, associate scientist in the Department of Epidemiology

"We're offering this teach-out because the COVID-19 epidemic has generated curiosity and confusion about the science behind control efforts," D'Souza says. "The field of epidemiology has a sophisticated toolset for measuring and helping to stop outbreaks, and equipping people with a basic understanding of those tools can help reduce the confusion and empower people to be part of the solution."

The online course also allows participation of those who are following appropriate social distancing measures and will provide calls to action for the public to effect positive change individually and in communities affected by the virus.