This online course was developed and is taught by Paula D. Gordon, Ph.D.: The course is taught in asynchronous time.

Course Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a major area of concern nationally and globally. There are greatly differing views regarding all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are similarly widely differing approaches to understanding the disease process involving the prevention of the spread of the virus and the progression of the disease. There are great differences in the approaches that are being taken to prevention and treatment. There is also a failure on the part of many of those in roles of major public responsibility to recognize and comprehend the significance of the research findings as well as a failure to recognize or acknowledge the experience of many practitioners who have extraordinary success in addressing the challenges of the pandemic. There are differences of views among practitioners, researchers, epidemiologists, immunologists, and virologists and others, not to mention those with responsibility for policy decisions that impact the pandemic. There are many reasons for these differences. They include differences in the backgrounds, academic and professional training, knowledge, skills, and experience of those involved in addressing the challenges surrounding the pandemic. The experienced practitioners, who have been successful in their efforts may have developed perspectives and insights that are not yet known and understood by those with less experience. In this course, efforts are made to shed light on these matters and the implications of these disparities for successfully addressing the challenges of the pandemic. There is also an attempt to evolve insights into how efforts to address the pandemic might be improved going forward. The purpose of this course is to attempt to shed light on some of the many facets of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Next Dates Offered in 2023: November 6 – December 3, 2023
2024 To Be Announced.

Registration Fee: $400 (All materials for the course are digitally accessible free of cost.)

CEU Credits: Participants will be eligible for 3 CEU credits.

To Register: See “Courses” at http://www.auburn.edu/outreach/opce/emergencymgmt/#courses or call (334) 844-5100 for information.

Note: While this course is an elective in Auburn University Outreach’s Emergency Management Certificate Program, it can be taken as a “stand alone” course.

Work on the COVID-19 Pandemic by Paula D. Gordon, Ph.D. Featured in the Auburn University Outreach Online Course:

• “The COVID-19 Pandemic: Applying Common Sense, Along with Scientific Understanding of the Nature of the Virus". September 2022. Working Paper.
• “The COVID-19 Pandemic ~ Viewing the Challenges of a Public Health Disaster from an Emergency Management Perspective”. Keynote Presentation on November 14, 2022 for the Policy Track of the Virtual Global Health Summit held by The Doctors Federation for the World (DFW).
• A 61-page list of COVID-related references and resources addressing twenty-seven different topics entitled: “An Overview of Key COVID-19-Related References and Resources Important for Policymakers to be Aware of, Understand, and Act On”.

NOTE: For free copies of this work, send a message requesting the copies to Dr. Gordon on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonpaula