Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: methods for detection, prevention, response and control
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified in 2019 in Wuhan, China. This is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans.
This course provides a general introduction to COVID-19 and emerging respiratory viruses and is intended for public health professionals, incident managers and personnel working for the United Nations, international organizations and NGOs.
As the official disease name was established after material creation, any mention of nCoV refers to COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus.
Self-paced
Language: English
Overview: This course provides a general introduction to emerging respiratory viruses, including novel coronaviruses. By the end of this course, you should be able to describe:
- The nature of emerging respiratory viruses, how to detect and assess an outbreak, strategies for preventing and controlling outbreaks due to novel respiratory viruses;
- What strategies should be used to communicate risk and engage communities to detect, prevent and respond to the emergence of a novel respiratory virus.
There are resources attached to each module to help you dive further into this topic.
Learning objective: Describe the fundamental principles of emerging respiratory viruses and how to effectively respond to an outbreak.
Course duration: Approximately 3 hours.
Certificates: No certificate available at this time.
As the official disease name was established after material creation, any mention of nCoV refers to COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus.
Attention:
- You will be notified when new videos are uploaded. Currently, the materials are offered as videos and slide decks.
- The course will offer a certificate in the future after all of the modules have been published and a quiz has been added to each module.
- The course materials are currently being translated into other languages.
Course contents
- Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: Introduction:
This brief introduction provides an overview of emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.
- Module A: Introduction to Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19:
Overall learning objective: To be able to explain why emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, are a global threat to human health
- Module B: Detecting Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: Surveillance and Laboratory investigation:
Overall learning objective: To describe how to detect and assess an emerging respiratory virus outbreak
- Module C: Risk Communication and Community Engagement:
Overall learning objective: To describe what strategies should be used to communicate risk and engage communities to detect, prevent and respond to COVID-19
- Module D: Preventing and Responding to an emerging respiratory virus, including COVID-19:
Overall learning objective: To describe strategies for preventing and controlling emerging respiratory pathogens, including coronavirus outbreaks.
Enroll me for this course
The course is free. Just register for an account on OpenWHO and take the course!
Important links
- Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Clinical Care Severe Acute Respiratory Infection
- COVID-19: Operational Planning Guidelines and COVID-19 Partners Platform to support country preparedness and response
- Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: methods for detection, prevention, response and control
- ePROTECT Respiratory Infections (EN)
source: WHO