Simulations and models can help us understand how the COVID-19 coronavirus disease spreads throughout the world’s population. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects people around the world, we can better grasp the rate of infection and of recovery by testing different scenarios with models. Our intuition is not effective for understanding complex systems with significant lag times; simulations and models of the COVID pandemic provide more accurate insights about the progress of the disease and our efforts to slow its spread.

Several authors have written articles or produced videos showing animations and other visualizations that illustrate the spread of the COVID coronavirus disease. Check out the links to their articles, videos, simulations, and animations below!
- Simulating an epidemic. 3Blue1Brown, 27 March 2020.
- Outbreak. Kevin Simler, Melting Asphalt, 17 March 2020.
- Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”. Harry Stevens, Washington Post, 14 March 2020.
- Exponential growth and epidemics. 3Blue1Brown, 8 March 2020.
COVID – Educational Games & Simulations
Several educational games and simulations illustrate how infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, spread throughout a population. Some games allow you to try your hand at slowing or stopping the spread of a disease. Can you stop the spread of a disease like COVID in time?

Annenberg Disease Lab
- Creators: Annenberg Learner (Annenberg Foundation)
- Cost: free

Bio Inc. – Biomedical Plague
- Creator: DryGin Studios
- Cost: free app for iOS and Android mobile devices; $13 for Windows version on Steam

Game Doctor
- Creator: Game Doctor (with the University of Aberdeen)
- Cost: free

Infection Bio War
- Creator: Fun Games for Free
- Cost: free

Pandemic Board Game
- Creator: Z-Man Games
- Cost: $40

Plague, Inc. – Ndemic
- Creator: Ndemic Creations
- Cost: $1 for the app for mobile devices; $15 for the computer or console version

Rice Web Adventures – Health & Medicine
- Creator: Rice University Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning & School Mathematics Project
- Cost: free

Solve the Outbreak – CDC
- Creators: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Cost: free