1 Aspects of epidemiology

Epidemiology is the study of diseases in populations and how they are transmitted. It is a broad and complex field of study, since each disease is unique in its incidence and the way it is transmitted. Because it deals with populations, epidemiology often deals with large data sets which require sophisticated statistical analysis. Furthermore, the findings of epidemiological studies must be considered in relation to environmental, geographic, demographic, cultural and genetic factors, all of which affect the incidence of disease and its transmission.

In this course, the focus is just on the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore can be very selective about which aspects of epidemiology are covered. The statistical analyses used in epidemiology are beyond the scope of the course. However, it is necessary to introduce you to some basic terminology.