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Epidemic!

Please be aware: this game is at its end of life and does not work on all computers. Due to its current state, we will not be able to provide support for issues in the game. We advise not using the multi-player function. We will be fully decommissioning this site as of January 1, 2022. We are assessing the use of our games. Please take this short survey so we better understand our users.

A mysterious disease is causing people to fall ill in your city.
Join the team to stop the epidemic before it spreads throughout the city and beyond!

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It's completely free!

Fight the epidemic alone, or with up to three other players!

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Fight the epidemic alone, or with up to three other players!
Epidemic!
Start A New Game
The disease is spreading rapidly! Choose a role and decide who will play on
your Public Health team so you can start working together to stop the epidemic.

STEP 1: Choose Your Role



STEP 2: Invite Others
Up to four people can join the public health team to investigate and resolve the epidemic together. Invite your friends to join you!
Your Name
Your Email
Required for game notifications
Player 2 email
Computer
Player
Player 3 email
Computer
Player
Player 4 email
Computer
Player
Send Invitations
Send Invitations


Epidemic!
Choose Your Avatar
Click a photo for your role on the team.

Your Role

Continue
Continue

Epidemic!
Resource Chips
You will need resource chips to take
actions that fight the epidemic.

Player Name
Continue


Epidemic!
Your Mission
Work with other members of your Public Health team to investigate and
contain the disease while minimizing public concern and social disruption.

Player Name
Your Tasks


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Epidemic!
Join A Game
The disease is spreading rapidly! Choose a role and decide who will play on
your Public Health team so you can start working together to stop the epidemic.

You are Player #
Choose Your Role

Continue
Continue
Team Home Page
Activity
Activity
Chatboard
Chatboard


Go Back
Team Activity

Player Name
Your Home Page
You can always leave any task by clicking the "Team Home" or "Your Home" button, and restart it later.

Click the 'Help' button at top-right to see these tips again.
Current Tasks
Better Fingerprinting
Digital Database
National Cases
Health Alert
In-depth Analysis
Fieldwork
Educational Materials
Weekend Work
Quarantine
Politics Intrude
Business Fears
Staff Errors
Vulnerable Populations
Choose the Messenger
Choose the Messenger
Choose the Messenger
Choose the Messenger
Systems Overwhelmed
Medication Distribution
Tainted Medication
Shut Down Source
Quarantine
Another Vulnerable Population
Systems Overwhelmed
Medication Distribution
Sick Child
Refusal to Talk
Family Triage
Community Meeting
Frightened Patient
Prescription Pick-Up
Clinic Delay
Interrupted Errand
Demand for a Cure
Unproven Remedies
School Notification
Triage Center
Federal Bulletin
Hotline Shifts
Preventive Treatment
Press Release Language
Wandering People
Information Source
Home Visit
Weekly Class
Check for New Tasks
Notifications
Team Activity


Review Choices
Button Title
Title description text
Required Evidence Rating:
PRO:
Pro text

CON:
Con text

Assign Resources:
One chip required. More
increase reliability.

Effectiveness:
%
Implement this Announcement
Implement this Announcement

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Back


Public Concern
Social Disruption
Public Education
Continue

Player Name

Yes
Yes
No
No
Decide Later
Continue
Allocate Resources to Team
Each team member will now receive five more Resource Chips.
You have six more chips to allocate. Decide how to distribute all of them.

Go Back
Done Allocating Chips
Done Allocating Chips

Resource Chips
Extent of Disease Knowledge:
Public Concern
Social Disruption
Public Education
Control Measures

New Task
Briefing:

Task:
Create Symptom Profile
Step 1: Find Common Symptoms
First, review the symptom cards and decide which symptoms are most common. Then mark which patients show those symptoms.
Each "YES" costs 1
Resource Chip.
Task:
Create Symptom Profile
Step 2: Choose Best Match
Now choose the best match between patients' symptoms and symptoms of known diseases.
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You've made a preliminary identification!
Continue
Task:
Create Symptom Profile
Step 3: Report Findings
Share your findings with your team members and request next steps.
Share with Environmental Health Scientist
Share with Public Health Officer & Community Health Educator
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Task:
Create Symptom Profile
Step 3: Report Findings
Share with EHS
You can ask the EHS to collect enviromental samples.
You must send 1 Resource Chip with each request.
Share with Public Health Officer
You can recommend several public service announcements (PSAs). If you are confident of the source, you can recommend alerting the public to health risks a these sites.
Each requires you send 1 Resource Chip to the PHO.
Check PSA: Good Behaviors
Check PSA: Reduce Specific Risks
Check PSA: Get More Data
Send Message
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Does this patient show the common symptoms?
NO
NO
YES
YES

Now click another card
to review it.
Done Choosing
Choose the best match for symptoms:
Gastrointestinal:
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain

Respiratory:
Fever
Cough
Fatigue
Headaches
Sore throat
Nasal congestion
Muscle aches

Neurological:
Fever
Malaise
Headaches
Seizures

Disease Info

Extent of Disease Knowledge:
Control Measures
DNA Fingerprint
Requires site samples by EHS
These decisions are made by PHO and CHE


Remaining Resource Chips
9
Request Chips from
Another Player


Your Teammates have
received your messages.
Good Work!
Your Home Page

Task:
Request Lab Analysis
Choose which samples to send to the lab for DNA fingerprinting.
Each fingerprint costs 2 Resource Chips. Choose Yes or No for each sample.
Order DNA Fingerprint of this sample?
NO
NO
YES
YES

Done Choosing

Remaining Resource Chips
9
Request Chips from
Another Player

Good work! The lab has received
your samples.

You will be notified when the
DNA analysis is ready.
Your Home Page

Task:
Identify Source
Revise Source ID
Identify Pathogen
Step 1 of 3
Step 2 of 3
Step 3 of 3
Compare DNA fingerprints of sick people with those of field samples and identify matches.
Decide if you need more samples to get more matches.
  • Request more environmental samples
  • Assign resources to collect more samples
Identify DNA fingerprints of the sick people with similar diseases and choose the one that is the closest match.
Now allocate resources to pursue treatments for the disease.

Drag Resource Chips to the most likely sources of the disease. You can assign all your chips to one source, or spread them out among all the matching sources. Use your best judgment!

The more chips you assign to a source, the more effort devoted to that treatment.

You can use all your chips!
Now decide on the source of the disease. Drag one Resource Chip to the best match!
Source
Is this a match?
NO
MAYBE
YES

Your Matches
Request More Environmental Samples
Assign Resources to These Sources
Identify Pathogen Causing Disesase

The Microbiologist says: I don't think that DNA matches the patients' DNA. Why don't you ask the EHS for more samples?
Request More Samples
Send Message
Go Back

Remaining Resource Chips
9
Request Chips
from Another
Player

Sources
Resources
Match?

Go Back
Submit Resources
Submit Resources

Resource Chips

Request Chips from Another Player
Your teammates have received
your pathogen ID.
Good Work!
Your Home Page
Try Again!
Your Home Page

Your Teammate has
received your message.
Good Work!
Your Home Page

Choose PPE:
More PPE reduces your chances of exposure but could slow you down and increase fear among the public.
Coveralls
Coveralls, Face Mask, Gloves
Tyvek Suit, Half Mask, Gloves
Chem Suit

Continue
Continue
Decide how to sample
You can sample either:
Widely
(one type of sample from many spots)
OR
Deeply
(many types of samples from fewer spots)

Take Samples
Epidemiologist Samples Requested:
Each sample costs 1
Resource Chip.
SAMPLES COLLECTED
Done Collecting Samples
Assist at Triage Center
Several people here have problems or concerns. Visit each one and try to resolve them.
Your Health
You need to deal with your own health before you can assist anyone else.
IMPACT OF
TODAY'S DECISIONS
Public Concern:
Social Disruption:
Control Measures:
Request Chips from Another Player
Done at
Screening Center
Drinking Fountain

Cafeteria

Football Field

Bathrooms

Pool
Drinking Fountain

Food Vendors

Bathrooms
Food Vendors

Pool

Drinking Fountain

Bathrooms
Pond

Drinking Fountain

Food Vendors

Bathrooms
Bathrooms

Food Prep

Bar

Food Storage
Hand Washing Stations

Sick Toddler

Sick Nurse

Line Cutters

Pets

Too Many People

Absent Inspector

Waiting in the Rain

Portable Toilets

Blocked Access

Choose Site for Screening Center

Parking Problems

Safety Issues
Remaining Resource Chips
9
Request Chips from
Another Player




Show Disease Info

Drive Yourself
1 Resource Chip
Drive Yourself
1 Resource Chip
Use Police Escort
2 Resource Chips
Use Police Escort
2 Resource Chips



Your Home Page

Public Concern
Social Disruption
Control Measures
Resource Chips
Back to Screening Center
Back to Home Page

CONTENT

There isn't enough evidence for this choice.

You'll have to wait until the Epidemiologist has made more progress in identifying the disease.

Request Chips from Another Player
Cancel
How many Resource Chips
are you requesting?
Message:
Request Chips
Request Chips


Chip Request from PlayerName
Player Name
Public Health Officer
NO
YES
YES


Request Chips from Another Player
Cancel

You've Collected Evidence!
Environmental Sample
DNA Fingerprint
Not Yet Analyzed
Continue
Earn Resource Chip
Answer These Questions to Earn
an Extra Resource Chip!
What is your age?


What is your gender?

What is your zip code?


What is your ethnicity?

What is your job?

What is your education level?

How did you hear about this game?


How many times have you played this game?

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Title
Text
Images


CLOSE
Title
Text
Images

Video

CLOSE

Disease Info

Extent of Disease Knowledge:
Enlarge

Extent of Disease Knowledge:
Control Measures
DNA Fingerprint
Enlarge
Show Disease Info
News

About the Game
Epidemic! educates users about the essential work performed by public health professionals through simulating actual tasks performed by a team of public health professionals during an epidemic. Each player chooses a role and then works with other players to stop the spread of the disease while facing real-world decisions and challenges. The game requires Internet access and can be played on desktop and laptop computers, as well as tablet devices.

Instructor's Guide
The Instructor's Guide suggests ways to use the online game Epidemic! in a classroom setting with groups of students working together to explore the world of public health. The Guide describes the game, explains how to play, and suggests learning activities to promote discussion among students that will build their interest in learning more about the field of public health as a possible career choice. Instructors can tailor these activities to meet their specific situation or needs. Get the Instructor's Guide PDF

Health Careers
Interested in learning more about a career in public health? Connect with the Health Careers Center (HCC) at the University of Minnesota! The HCC is a specialized career center that helps University undergraduate students, high school students, and adult learners explore health career options, build effective skills and tools for career development, and prepare for admission into health professional programs.

Primary Content Experts
Terry L. Dwelle, MD, MPHTM, FAAP, CPH
State Health Officer
North Dakota Department of Health

Brian R. Golob, CHMM, REHS
EHS Consultant
Molly M. Eggleston, MPH, CPH, MCHES
Midas Project Coordinator
Public Health Dynamics Laboratory
University of Pittsburgh

Amy Saupe, MPH
Epidemiologist
Acute Disease Investigation & Control
Minnesota Health Department


Consultants & Reviewers
Jill M. DeBoer, MPH
Director, Academic Health Center

Srinand Sreevatsan BVSc, MVSc, MPH, PhD
Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies
College of Veterinary Medicine
Mickey Scullard, MPH, MEP
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Planner


Photo Credits
Background bacteria images courtesy Eshel Ben-Jacob
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
iStockPhoto
949billwright at en.wikinew
Abebenjoe
Alvesgaspa
Arriva436
Bobjgalindo
Dr. Lyle Conrad
Andrew Currie
Centers for Disease Control
Fuzzy510
Javaholics/Coffeenuts
Kremlin.ru
Joe Mabel
National Institutes of Health
Penarc
Amy Saupe
David Schaller
Sarah Stierch


Epidemic! was developed by the Midwest Center for Lifelong Learning in Public Health (MCLPH), and funded in part by grant #1UB6HP22822-01-00 from the Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS, Public Health Training Center Program; Rhonda Jones-Webb and Jamie Stang, Co-Directors & /Principal Investigators; Louise Stenberg, Grant Coordinator; Constance Pepin, Education Specialist.

Game design and developyment by Eduweb.

Copyright 2013 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
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Game Requirements
Epidemic! is designed to play on a desktop, laptop or tablet device. You will need reliable access to the Internet and a recent version of a browser.

You will also need to register for an account and provide an email address where you can receive emails related to the game. Before you start or join a game, an email will be sent to you with a game code for access. Each new game uses a different game code, so you can play multiple games using different codes.
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