The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic at the end of 2019 continues to be a a disease of very grave threat for the world but there is a realistic chance of stopping it (WHO, 2020). St. George’s University whose mission includes shaping the future of the world with knowledge joins the global community to response to the challenge present by COVID-19 by offering an open access online course exploring its global context, microbiology, medical treatment and prevention and control response.
This course will consist of lectures, readings, and discussion from a range of experts with knowledge of the disease and experience in the field. Our understanding of this new strain of virus is quickly evolving, and this course provides an opportunity to bring together the latest knowledge in disparate fields to examine the current impact of the virus and our options to mitigate this public health threat. If you work in the field of public health or simply want to know more about this disease, we encourage you to join the course.
The course will include live and recorded interviews and QA sessions with various perspectives from the public health community.
COVID-19 was sourced from an animal reservoir, emerged as an epidemic and has a strong pandemic potential for the human population. The response in China, Southeast Asia and the World requries medical professionals who are globally competent and responsive to address the continued burden of emerging infectious diseases. The role of medical professionals from a local to a global perspective will be presented in this module.
The microbiology of COVID-19 in terms of its structure, replication, mode of transmission, diagnosis, pathogenicity and treatment is essential towards the clinical care and prevention and control strategies to be employed will be the focus of this module. Exploring the role of animal reservoirs, COVID-19 as a novel virus, human immunity and population demographic factors all contribute to the determinants and distribution of the outbreak.
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At this point, all countries are preparing their response to the actual or potential arrival of COVID-19. Medical professionals as well as local and international health organizations are coordinating the response against COVID-19 outbreak. Hygienic precautions, health education and promotion, quarantine and isolation, diagnosis and treatment are immediate tools that are used to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. A situational analysis on the medical response to the threat of COVID-19 in Grenada and the Carribean will be the focus of this module.
Individuals, local communities, countries, regions and the world as a whole need to establish and maintain a standard of best practice towards the prevention and control of COVID-19. Medical professionals and governmental health authorities are being guided by health policies and regulations from the World Health Organization (WHO). Capacity building and resource allocations towards identified prevention and control strategies as well as clinical treatment protocols are essential to align the local with global efforts. A understanding of international health regulations for COVID-19 will conclude this module and culminate the course.
For this course, St. George's University is collaborating with experts at varying levels of policy to practice towards understanding challenges and presenting solutions.
| Effort: | Self-paced |
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| Open Date: | March 5, 2020 |
| Price: | FREE |
The course and access to all the content is absolutely free.
Anyone looking to learn more about the COVID-19 virus will benefit from this course. The lectures will be appropriate for the "lay person" without a science background. We especially encourage anyone working in the field of public health to participate.
All required course material will be made available on SGU Online. You will be asked to download a small, free application called ZOOM if you choose to join the live video sessions.
Students will have the option to generate a digital certificate of participation for completing all course activities
Although most of our open courses offer continuing education credit for a small fee, this course currently does not offer credit
Anyone who is interested in SGU's public health programs is welcome to learn more at our SGU MPH Website.
If you have any questions about the series, please contact us at onlinelearning@sgu.edu
