The Great Flu Game

In the Great Flu Game, I plaid, my role as the head of the world pandemic control was controlling the outbreak of the unknown flu virus and ultimately defeating the virus. Some of the interventions I took were closing airports, schools and markets, dispensing face masks, distributing antivirals, and dispatching research teams to the infected areas. The most important intervention was finding the vaccine to counter the spread of the virus in the uninfected areas. 

As expected, some of the interventions were effective, while others did not seem to work. The interventions that seemed to work included dispatching research teams to the infected areas, finding the vaccine and closing the markets as well as schools. The interventions were effective as they reduced contacts between people who could have the virus and as well coming up with a vaccine for the uninfected people. Non-effective interventions included closing airports, dispatching antivirals, and face masks. This is because the antivirals were ineffective in combating the virus. The facemasks also failed to protect people as the virus was very strong and widely spread. 

The most cost-effective interventions were closing schools and markets and dispensing facemasks. However, distributing antivirals, dispatching research teams to the infected areas, and finding the vaccine were the least cost-effective interventions. Some constitutional concerns such as curtailed freedom of movement and association arose as some family members were separated they could not fly owing to the closed airports. This, therefore, means that there was a relationship between infringing on individual rights and the effectiveness of the intervention because families had to be separated for intervention effectivity. Although there were no ethical concerns in using the interventions, curtailed social interactions elicited social concerns. 

Reference 

The Great Flu - Online Serious Health Game. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDqkoosl-Ig