Multiple waves of transmission are anticipated for COVID-19 before suitable vaccines are developed. To flatten the curve, governments have released guidance for general public focused on social distancing and hygiene. However, a standardised strategy to educate young people has not been established. In March, our team carried out surveys to assess knowledge and attitudes of young people (4-16) towards coronavirus. Our findings showed that majority of young people felt invincible towards COVID-19 and had poor understanding on importance of vaccines. Furthermore, over 10% reported worries about the pandemic. We are thrilled to announce that we have received Innovate UK funding to develop a mobile game on COVID-19 to address this need. The game will be developed for 8-16 year olds and focus on coronavirus infection and vaccine development. Collaborating with researchers from University of Stirling, Glasgow University and Queens University Belfast, the goal is to reduce anxiety and improve health behaviours. We are looking for stakeholders to ensure the game is disseminated to audiences who need it most.
Please get in touch with the team for more information. The game will be launched in September and we look forward to keeping you updated on the project!
