COVID-19: FutureLearn offers free online coronavirus course

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COVID-19: FutureLearn offers free online coronavirus course

With 130,000 cases in 125 countries and sadly almost 5,000 deaths so far – including 8 in the UK – the novel coronavirus outbreak now constitutes a pandemic, according to the World Health Organisation.

As conflicting information flies around the internet, it’s never been more crucial to stay informed and receive expert advice about how we should respond to the pandemic, both collectively and individually.

In response, FutureLearn are now offering a free online course open for registration on “COVID-19: Tackling the Novel Coronavirus” from experts at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, a renowned institute of public health.

So far we’ve seen a great response to the course – over 25,000 learners have signed up, from almost 200 countries.

Understanding and preventing the spread of Coronavirus

The online course is focussed on the outbreak of novel coronavirus, officially named COVID-19, and will cover what is known about the disease outbreak so far, what the practical implications for response are, how to prevent the spread of coronavirus, and what is needed for the future. 

The course will start on 23 March and is suitable for everyone, from those working in healthcare to anyone interested in the subject and the response more generally. The course will run for three weeks and will require approximately four hours of study per week. 

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who will be running the course, was named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2016 for its response to the Ebola outbreak which included, among many other things, an online course, Ebola in Context, on FutureLearn. 

An international situation

The coronavirus course will be led by Dr Anna Seale and Dr Maryirene Ibeto from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Dr Seale says that the course “aims to bring together expertise, and share knowledge on what we know to date and what we are still learning about the virus and how to combat it.”

The virus, after all, is an international crisis – only by working together can we hope to slow its spread and ultimately defeat it. As Dr Ibeto puts it: “by pooling our knowledge to fill gaps in our knowledge about the virus, we stand the best chance of stopping this outbreak in its tracks.”

Inform yourself

The best response to the coronavirus is to stay informed about both the virus itself, and how to respond as a concerned member of the public. 

This course is a unique opportunity to gain the knowledge you need to know how to react to a public health crisis that’s evolving minute by minute.

Enrol today.


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Category Coronavirus, Current Issues