Getting Started…
The following resources comprise the core component of this week’s content, providing ‘An Introduction to the Disease X Simulation Game’. Once you’ve completed the readthrough providing an introduction to the game and read your character description below, please take the time to explore the resources labelled as ‘mandatory’ - these should take approximately five to ten minutes each to either watch, listen to or read. If you have the time or the inclination, you could also have a look through the ‘Optional Resources’ provided below and further expand upon your understanding of biorisk and pandemic prevention. The ‘Optional Resources’ typically take longer to work through (e.g. the paper exploring the research potential of broad-spectrum antivirals is quite long and complex), so you might want to consider listening to any audio/video resources at 1.25x or 1.5x speed - or skipping through written resources to focus on the parts you find to be most relevant.
Once you’ve explored the pieces of background information available this week, return to this page and review the instructions for ‘Disease X: A Simulation’ outlined below. You are required to complete the introductory readthrough and explore the mandatory resources associated with each section of additional content, but are not required to work through any of the optional content. That said, you’re also very welcome to dip in and pick out any resources which feel interesting to you - even if they don’t seem directly relevant to the issues you’re considering. Having completed all required content, you can begin to work on the week’s concluding activity, as detailed below.
Week 3: Prepare a short profile of your character/role. You should detail your aims, the specific issues you intend to tackle and the issues you believe that you might face. The aim of this activity is to ensure that once you do participate in the Disease X simulation game you are well-prepared to take on your role and work with other players to develop an effective pandemic mitigation strategy - and thus your written work does not have to be formal in style, persuasive or backed by references/citations.
Background Content 🔬
Lessons From Global Pandemic Response Strategies
The Race To Create A 100-Day Vaccine
An Introduction to the Disease X Simulation Game
During the following abbreviated and virtual version of the Johns Hopkins Clade X tabletop game, you will be tasked with responding to the outbreak of a fictional pathogen we’ll call "Pathogen X", which is suspected to have been engineered to optimise for pandemic potential. Pathogen X causes Disease X - a severe respiratory illness with a high fatality rate (claiming the lives of between five and ten percent of infected individuals) and a moderate rate of transmission - and there is no pre-existing vaccine available. The game will begin with Disease X having been first detected in Ethiopia, with subsequent cases identified in Guatemala and Switzerland. The United States, with just under a hundred documented cases, is at the epicentre of the crisis. Working with your team, you will have 50 minutes to make strategic decisions to halt the spread of Disease X, develop and distribute a safe and effective vaccine, and appropriately balance population well-being and economic stability with chosen public health measures.
You will each be assigned a specific role within the American government, the public health sector or RNALabs (a prominent biotechnology company). All players must work together to allocate material resources, manage the spread of Disease X via non-medical mitigation measures and develop a robust vaccination programme to pursue elimination. Your game will take place in three phases - each of which will take approximately fifteen minutes to complete - Phase 1: Initial Response (Containment and Imposition of Emergency Protocols), Phase 2: Vaccine Development and Public Information Programmes and Phase 3: Transitioning to “Life with the Virus” and Evaluation of Long-Term Consequences. The timing of this fictional pandemic and the introduction of each new phase will be managed by your facilitator.