Interactive Labs

Disease Lab

OPEN SIMULATOR

Overview
Lessons

HELP

Tools of the Simulator

Simulator Controls
Simulator Data
Simulator Parameters
Population Immunity Graph
Interactive Illustration

Simulator Controls

Reset Button: Returns the simulator to Day 0.
Stop Button: Arrests the progression of the simulator at the moment it is clicked.
Step: Simulates the progression of population as determined by the parameters for one day.
Run: Simulates the progression of population as determined by the parameters for 100 days.

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Simulator Data

In the upper right hand corner:
Day: Indicates which day you are currently looking at within the simulator's 100-day scenario.
Population: The starting number of people within the scenario.
Sick Days: The total number of sick days taken for the entire population. The number per capita tells you the average number of sick days an individual has taken throughout the duration of the simulation.
Death Toll: The total number of people in the population who have died as a result of the disease. The percentage next to Death Toll tells you the percentage of the total population that are deceased due to the disease. Note that dead individuals are removed from the Illustration as they expire. They are, however, represented on the Population Immunity Graph.
In the lower right hand corner:
Tableau: A pull-down menu that changes automatically as you go forward in the lessons, and will change what is available on the main simulator screen. There are three settings: Virgin, Vaccine, and Counter-Virus. When the tableau is changed to either Vaccine or Counter-Virus, new pull-down menus appear within the Simulator Parameters. The tableau Counter-Virus will also cause a new line to appear on the graph (see: Graph).

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Simulator Parameters

Disease: A pull-down menu that lists three diseases you can explore: Kold, Impfluenza, and Red Deaath. The Details button next to the pull-down menu allows you to alter the parameters of the disease. Click the notepad and pencil icon to open a window labeled Disease Details; Disease Name: Indicates which disease is currently being explored.; Contagious/sick: Use this slider to control the number of days from when an individual is contagious (can transmit the disease to others and/or fall victim to it him/herself, but is not yet ill) to when the individual gets sick (has the disease). Slide the square left (fewer days between contagious and sick) or right (more days between contagious and sick). The number in the box next to the slider indicates how many days you have chosen. You may also click on the box and enter a number of days.; Transmission Rate: Use the slider to indicate the rate at which a contagious or sick person would transmit the disease to the healthy—although "at risk"—people surrounding him/her. Slide the square left (fewer surrounding people affected) or right (more people around will be infected). For example, if the transmission rate were 100%, every dot around the starting contagious dot (red) in the illustration would be infected by day 2. The number in the box next to the slider indicates the transmission rate you have selected. You may also click on the box and enter a transmission rate.; Death Rate: Use this slider to indicate the percentage of total people afflicted with the disease who will die as a result of the disease. Slide the square left (fewer people will die from the disease) or right (more people will die from te disease). The box next to the slider tells what percentage of the total population will die from the disease. You may also click on the box and type in your chosen death rate.; OK: This button accepts the parameters given in the window for the disease and will then run the simulator according to those parameters.; Cancel This button brings you back to the main simulator screen without altering any parameters. The simulator will run numbers and approximations from whatever parameters were previously set.
Population Density: A pull-down menu that shows how many people per square area will be involved in the simulation—how crowded and populated an area will be. There are three options: Low, for which the starting population is 200, Medium, for which the starting population is 600, and High, for which the population is 900.
Population Mixing: A pull-down menu that tells how often those within the simulation will travel to other parts of the simulation and interact with others. There are four options for Population Mixing: None (individuals are isolated and stay within their own homes at all times), Low (minimal interaction with others), Medium (average interaction in the community), and High (intense interaction and travel within and throughout the community).
Countermeasure: When the tableau is changed from Virgin (which includes all settings above) to Vaccine or Counter-Virus, another pull-down menu, Countermeasure, appears in the Simulator Parameters.
Countermeasure in Vaccine tableau: A pull-down menu that allows you to vaccinate percentages of the total population. Much the same as a real-life flu shot inoculation, you may choose to vaccinate some part of the population. You have eight choices: None (no one in the population receives the vaccine), 5% (only a select 5% of the total population are inoculated), 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, and 100% (the entire population receives the vaccine).
Countermeasure in Counter-Virus tableau: This pull-down menu allows you to inject sections of the population with a Counter-Virus to the main disease. Not only can you choose to inject percentages of the population (the same percentages are listed as those in countermeasure for Vaccine), but you also may choose to have a slow, medium, or fast acting Counter-Virus. The rate at which a Counter-Virus acts is the amount of time between inoculation (injecting the virus into a body) and protection against the main disease. The Details box next to the Countermeasure pull-down menu allows you to alter the parameters of the Counter-Virus. Click the notepad and pencil icon to change the Counter-Virus parameters.
Counter-Virus Details: Run Before Disease: Use this slider to alter the amount of time from when the Counter-Virus is distributed and the onset of the main disease. Slide the square left (fewer days) or right (more days). The box next to the slider indicates how many days you have chosen. You may also click on the box and type in a preferred time.; Contagious/Sick: Use this slider to alter the amount of time between the injection of the Counter-Virus and when it begins to take effect, i.e., when the individual develops an immunity to the main disease. Slide the square left (fewer days) or right (more days). The box next to the slider indicates how many days you have chosen. You may also click on the box and type the number of days.; Transmission Rate: Use this slider to alter the rate at which those inoculated with the Counter-Virus transmit the Counter-Virus to other individuals (thereby giving them immunity to the main disease). The rate is calculated as a percentage so that each person inoculated with the Counter-Virus will transmit the Counter-Virus to that percentage of the people around him/her. Slide the square left (fewer instances of transmission) or right (more instances of transmission). The box next to the slider indicates the transmission rate you have chosen. You may also click on the box and type in your chosen transmission rate.; Death Rate: Use this slider to alter the percentage of those inoculated with the main disease. Slide the square left (fewer people) or right (more people). The box next to the slider will tell you what death rate you have chosen. You may also click on the box and type in your chosen death rate.; OK: This button accepts the parameters given in the window for the disease and will run the simulator according to those parameters. It will bring you back to the main simulator screen.; Cancel: This button brings you back to the main simulator screen without altering any parameters. The simulator will run numbers and approximations from whatever parameters were previously set.
Presets: Reestablishes original settings of the simulator, including simulation parameters, graph, and illustration.

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Population Immunity Graph

The graph shows the progression of the disease within your chosen parameters. The legend box may be moved by dragging it with your mouse. The y-axis is the population and the x-axis is the day. In the Virgin and Vaccine tableaus, four lines appear on the graph.

Contagious: This line represents the number of people in the population who are either exposed to the disease or have compromised immune systems but have not yet become ill with the disease.
Immune: In the Virgin tableau, this line represents those in the population who have either a natural immunity to the disease or a developed immunity (an immunity that comes from exposure to the disease; a person may be exposed to a disease and naturally develop antibodies to the disease) and will not have received the vaccine and are now immune to the disease.
At Risk: This line represents the number of people in the population who have died as a result of the disease.
Dead: This line represents the number of people in the population who have died as a result of the disease.
In the Counter-Virus tableau, five lines appear on the graph.
Contagious: This line represents the number of people in the population who are either exposed to the disease or have compromised immune systems but have not yet become ill with the disease.
Immune: This line represents those in the population who have either a natural immunity to the disease, or a developed immunity (either natural or as a result of the Counter-Virus) and will not contract the disease.
At Risk: This line represents the number of people in the population who are not immune, contagious, or sick, and/or have not been injected with the Counter-Virus, but may still contract the disease.
Dead: This line represents the number of people in the population who have died as a result of the disease.
Counter-Virus: This line tracks the transmission of the Counter-Virus and shows how many people (at the start) are injected with the Counter-Virus and then, as the simulation progresses, to whom and how quickly the Counter-Virus is transmitted.

Interactive Illustration

Each dot represents an individual. As each day progresses, the individuals move both within their immediate environment and throughout the community. The status of each individual is indicated by its color. The color legend is at the top of the illustration. In the Virgin and Vaccine tableaus, Contagious is red, Immune is grey and At Risk is green. In the Counter-Virus tableau, those who are carrying the Counter-Virus are now dark red. The Dead are removed from the field as they expire.

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