Tracking the Disease

Think about how the infectious disease was spread from person to person in your community. If you were trying to avoid catching the disease, what could you do? Use evidence from this activity to support your answer.

I think that the disease really spread in places that lots of people were at. One person would receive the disease and another would spread it and so on. When the disease was passed around in a big place, lots of people got it and passed it on to the rest in other places. When it spreads in such a big area, it is difficult to avoid it. If I was trying to avoid catching the disease, chances are that if I am not in an area where lots of people are, my chances of catching the disease will be reduced largely. There were two people in the class who didn't catch the "disease" during the experiment, and they claimed to mostly be alone or with very few people. In real life, we all go to public places and easily spread germs. We don't always stay in small, isolated areas. Some ways diseases actually can spread around is coughing/sneezing (spreading germs in the air), touching things (like touching clothes at the mall and a healthy person touches them after you) and coming contact with others. In the experiment it happened and in real life it happens too.

Imagine that you are the director of the health department in the town where the disease is spreading. It is your job to help prevent people from getting sick. Explain what you would recommend to try to prevent more people from getting infected.

I would recommend things that you have probably always heard from your parents/teachers/doctors. Wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer. You should take baths after going to crowded places like the airport or the hospital. Don't rub your eyes much and cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing. When there is an outbreak, stay away from crowd places. Avoid sick people. Help sick people keeping them at home and buying stuff for them so they don't have to go out and spread the disease. Keep your house clean and often use antibiotic wipes. Everyone has to help!