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Outbreaks and Epidemics

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Outbreaks and Epidemics

This course is part of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization

Instructor: Justin Lessler, PhD, MS

18,952 already enrolled

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

777 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

5 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

777 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

5 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Apply methods to weigh evidence and calculate measures
Discuss outbreaks and the key epidemiologic tools used during investigation
Apply basic epidemic dynamics to the analysis of outbreaks

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

4 assignments

Taught in English

91% of learners achieved a positive career outcome

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This course is part of the Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

Professional epidemiologists are often called on to investigate outbreaks and epidemics. This course serves as an introduction to the essentials of investigation, identifying pathogens, figuring out what's going on, reporting, and responding. You'll learn how to ask precise epidemiologic questions and apply epidemiologic tools to uncover the answers. You'll also learn about basic epidemic dynamics and the terrible law that cause them to grow, as well as the reasons why they recede and eventually go away. The course concludes with deep dives into some real outbreaks from Ebola, in West Africa, to the opioid epidemic in the United States.

Module details

In this module we're going to be talking about outbreaks. All the way through identifying the pathogens and figuring out what's going on to reporting and responding to the outbreak. In doing so we're going to learn several important epidemiological concepts.

What's included

8 videos1 reading1 assignment

8 videosTotal 40 minutes

Introduction to Course and Identifying and Investigating Outbreaks: The Basics0 minutes
Step 0: What Is an Outbreak?6 minutes
Step 1: Identify Cases6 minutes
Step 2: Describe the Outbreak by Person, Place, and Time7 minutes
Step 3: Identify and Characterize the Cause6 minutes
Step 4: Risk Factor Study in a Defined Population5 minutes
Step 4: Risk Factor Study in an Open Population6 minutes
Step 5: Intervene and Report5 minutes

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

Course Projects10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Identifying and Investigating Outbreaks30 minutes

In this module, we'll be learning about how to ask precise epidemiologic questions and how to investigate these using important tools.

What's included

6 videos1 assignment

6 videosTotal 47 minutes

Introduction to Weighing Evidence and Identifying Causes0 minutes
General Questions to Precise Hypotheses8 minutes
Identifying Comparison Groups10 minutes
Basic Measures of Association 1, Risk Difference6 minutes
Basic Measures of Association 2, Relative Risk7 minutes
Understanding Basic Statistical Tests16 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Weighing Evidence and Identifying Causes30 minutes

In this module, we'll be talking about basic epidemic dynamics and the terrible law that causes epidemics to grow, and the reasons why epidemics recede and eventually go away

What's included

6 videos1 reading1 assignment

6 videosTotal 41 minutes

Introduction to The Terrible Law: Basic Epidemic Dynamics0 minutes
Measures of Transmissibility: Attack Rates11 minutes
Measures of Transmissibility: Reproductive Numbers6 minutes
Natural History10 minutes
Implications for Control12 minutes
Summary of The Terrible Law: Basic Epidemic Dynamics1 minute

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

Further Reading10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

The Terrible Law: Basic Epidemic Dynamics30 minutes

In this module, we're going to take a deep dive in some outbreaks from Ebola, in West Africa, to the opioid epidemic in the United States.

What's included

4 videos1 assignment

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Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(187 ratings)

Justin Lessler, PhD, MS

Johns Hopkins University

3 Courses200,538 learners

Offered by

Johns Hopkins University

Learner reviews

5 stars
81.20%
4 stars
15.70%
3 stars
2.31%
2 stars
0.25%
1 star
0.51%

Showing 3 of 777

Reviewed on Jul 3, 2020

The design of the course was simple and easy to understand. It was interesting topic to learn the patter of infection, tracking etc. Really enjoyed the course

Reviewed on Dec 5, 2021

Really great content. Only thing bringing it from 5 to 4 stars - the module exercises during the course gave no answers, so I didn't know if I was on the right track answering the practice questions.

Reviewed on Jan 14, 2021

This is a very relevant course (especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic) and neatly illustrates the conceptual components of an outbreak investigation and an epidemic study.

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