A virus is an infectious particle that causes disease by hijacking cells within organisms and making them produce copies of the virus. Viruses are not considered cells because they rely on their host cell to replicate and only consist of a protein shell that protects a piece of genetic information, making them very small even in relation to cells!

This process usually leads to damage or death to the cells which viruses infect, making them pathogens, or agents that cause disease🕵🏻‍♂.

Over the past 2 and a half years, over half a billion people have been infected with COVID-19, making it one of the most infectious disease in human history. So what is COVID's secret?

1. COVID-19 has a long incubation period, meaning that once we get infected with the virus, it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to show. This gives the virus time to spread throughout the body and infect others before we start feeling sick and avoid others.

2. Despite needing a host to replicate, COVID-19 particles can linger in the air for hours through a sneeze or a cough. This is because they can exist within water droplets, and means that you could catch the virus from someone long after they've left the room.

3. Before 2019, COVID-19 had never circulated in humans, making it unrecognisable as a threat to our body's immune defences. This means that the virus is allowed to circulate freely in our system, and only once it hijacks our cells and replicates will our body begin to fight it.

Firstly, you need to select a virus, and then decide how it spreads into the world. This can either be:

1. A human virus from the past that has re-emerged (e.g. the bubonic plague)

2. A novel (new) virus that has spread from animals to humans. This is known as zoonotic transmission, and occurs when humans come into direct contact with body fluids from another animals, such as saliva from a bite (e.g. COVID-19)

It is important to note that this project is about designing a virus that is as contagious as possible, not as deadly as possible. This is because a virus's purpose is to use its host to replicate, rather than cause its host harm (even though viruses are often harmful to their hosts!).

To your right there is a template to help you plot your ideas and work through this and the following tasks.

Next, you need to pinpoint where you believe the disease will have the best chance of spreading across the world. Your decision should consider various factors that lead to the spread of contagious diseases, such as healthcare, population density, transport and climate. Use the adjacent map as a tool to help define a precise location.

Now that your virus has begun to spread, you need to choose what features of the virus will be allow it to spread. You can research this by using this resource or other websites, or even playing games! We recommend games such as Plague Inc. or Infection Bio War, where you try to bring down all of humanity by choosing how your virus mutates. Keep in mind that the aim of this activity is different to the games, and try to mutate your virus on increase its infectivity, not lethality.

Now that you've created the optimal virus, you have to stop it from spreading! Focus on various social and healthcare measures on a global scale, such as improving hygiene and finding a cure. In your research, pick out measures taken by governments in response COVID-19 outbreaks, and play more games! We recommend playing the Pandemic board game or the Solve the Outbreak app to experience controlling a pathogen.