======Simulating an Epidemic with GloGerm======


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**Alternative titles:** Tracing Patient Zero Activity
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Prepare one petri dish per student containing gauze soaked with mineral oil and cornstarch. Replace cornstarch with GloGerm in one dish to designate patient zero.  
  - Give each student a latex glove, instructing them to put it on their non-writing hand.  
  - Students rub the gauze from their dish onto the glove. Only one student unknowingly has the GloGerm “infection.”  
  - Conduct three to five rounds of controlled handshakes. Ensure students record who they shake hands with each round.  
  - After the last round, test for infection by examining gloves under UV light in a controlled testing station.  
  - Record which students are infected and reconstruct the path of transmission back to patient zero.  
  - Discuss the spread, highlighting how quickly an epidemic can expand and the exponential growth of infections.



====Links==== 
📄 The Epidemic: a Large Group Activity That Demonstrates Transmission of Infectious Agents - American Society for Microbiology: [[https://asm.org/lesson-plans/the-epidemic-a-large-group-activity-that-demonstr]]\\


====Variations====
  * Test a few students midway through the activity to simulate real-world diagnostic testing.  
  * Increase or decrease the number of handshake rounds to change infection rates.  
  * Have multiple “patient zeros” to simulate overlapping outbreaks.  
  * Compare different handshake intensities (light vs. vigorous) to observe spread differences.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Ensure students wear gloves to avoid direct contact with GloGerm and oils.  
  * Use safety glasses when handling UV lights.  
  * Dim the lights or use a cardboard isolation box for safe UV visualization.  
  * Remind students to use standard handshakes only, not to intentionally spread oil over large glove areas.  
  * Test gloves before the activity to check for any fluorescent specks that may cause false positives.




====Questions to Consider====
  * What does this activity reveal about how quickly infections can spread? (Infections spread exponentially with repeated contacts.)  
  * How can false positives or false negatives affect our understanding of an epidemic? (They may hide true infections or falsely label healthy individuals as infected.)  
  * Why is recording encounters important for identifying patient zero? (It provides a traceable network of contacts.)  
  * How is this simulation similar to and different from real epidemics? (It shows contact-based spread but simplifies real-world complexities such as immunity, symptoms, and incubation periods.)  
  * How do preventive measures in real life (e.g., vaccination, masks, handwashing) compare to the “glove” or control measures in this activity?