Welcome to ‘Science Matters: Let's Talk about COVID-19’, from the Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics (J-IDEA) at Imperial College London. The outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is the most significant public health emergency of the 21st century so far. As the epidemic spreads, people around the world want to understand the science behind the most pressing questions: how many people have been infected? How dangerous is the virus? When will a vaccine be available? How can the epidemic be contained, and the damages mitigated? What is the economic impact? What’s the role of social media and local communities in the epidemic response? Researchers at J-IDEA and other research institutes at Imperial College London have been at the forefront of the response to the COVID-19 emergency, with clinical, epidemiological and social science analyses informing the outbreak response. They are generating robust empirical evidence that governments and international agencies are using around the world to plan their responses. On this course, you will hear directly from our world-class experts about the theory behind the analyses of COVID-19 and its spread, while learning how to interpret new information using core principles of public health, epidemiology, medicine, health economics, and social science. You will be able to watch regular situation reports about the state of the epidemic, provided by the researchers of J-IDEA and its director Professor Neil Ferguson. If you want to learn even more about these topics, a number of free MOOCs are available from Imperial College London. We also offer a fully online Global Master of Public Health for those of you who want to delve even deeper and join our professional community. Please note: This course was launched in February 2020 and we have continued to develop content as the COVID-19 situation progresses and new insights emerge. While we endeavour to include the most recent information, this is a fast-moving situation and information is constantly changing. This course is to be used for educational purposes only and is open to all and free of charge. The information in this course does not constitute clinical or other advice and must not be used for the purposes of providing any clinical or other advice. If you have any health concerns, please refer to your regional health authorities’ guidelines and consult a medical professional. Please note the views expressed by individuals in the course content do not necessarily reflect those of Imperial College London, J-IDEA and any other funding partners. Imperial College London, J-IDEA and any other funding partners shall not be liable, to the maximum extent permitted by law, for any loss suffered or for any other adverse or negative consequence arising directly or indirectly from your reliance on the information contained in this course.