Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Computer Game Helps Health Workers Combat Covid Spread

Computer Game Helps Health Workers Combat Covid Spread

Players of "Escape Covid-19" are guided through a series of scenarios that health workers at hospitals and long-term care facilities encounter on a daily basis.

Swiss health workers busy fighting the pandemic are being encouraged to unwind with a computer game that offers not only distraction but also knowledge to battle Covid-19 in real life.

Players of "Escape Covid-19" are guided through a series of scenarios that health workers at hospitals and long-term care facilities encounter on a daily basis.

Each challenge -- from before leaving the house to their commute and especially on the job -- is geared towards helping frontline staff change their real-world behaviour to better protect against spreading the virus.

Seated alongside emergency response workers fielding alerts at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), Doctor Melanie Suppan demonstrates how it works.

It starts off easy for the anaesthesiologist and IT enthusiast, who helped brainstorm and develop the game.

In "Escape Covid-19", she wakes up with a cough and fever, and chooses to get tested for Covid and wait for the results before going to work, earning a thumbs-up.

But once she has tested negative and gets into work, the game gets more complicated.

"A trainee asks you in which situation(s) an N95/FFP2 mask should be worn instead of a standard mask."

Faced with a long list of options, Suppan selects several, including "resuscitation" and "respiratory support", which are correct.

But she also clicks on the use of nasal swabs, and an angry, red coronavirus appears to indicate she got that one wrong.

"The idea is for this to be playful, fun, and lighthearted... not moralising," Suppan told AFP.

'Real benefit'


Researchers at the HUG developed the "serious game", which is available online in French, German, Italian and English, to help healthcare workers internalise the best practices for avoiding outbreaks on the job.

Professor Stephan Harbarth heads the infection prevention unit at the hospital and his team helped provide the protocol and procedural expertise underlying "Escape Covid-19".

"Classical hospital hygiene and inter-hospital infection prevention are not always the most sexy of topics," he acknowledged.

"We see that a playful game, along with other communication methods, is more effective in helping people change their behaviour."

A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research earlier this month indicated that the game was far more effective than regular information manuals in inspiring behavioural change among staff.

It involved nearly 300 emergency room workers in Geneva who were either provided with written material about the proper procedures to follow or asked to play the computer game.

"The study measured a real benefit," said Suppan.

"Those who played the game were three times more likely to say they wanted to change their behaviour compared to those who received the regular material."

Get tested, stay away


Inciting behaviour change among health professionals is vital.

Since the start of the pandemic, hospitals and care facilities have tragically become incubators of Covid-19 outbreaks.

In the beginning, Harbarth said most of the focus was on protecting doctors and nurses from getting infected while caring for Covid-19 patients.

But after a while it became clear that asymptomatic health workers were spreading the virus too, and often to non-Covid patients.

"We realised we needed to be very careful that the personnel didn't become vectors, or mosquitos if you will, infecting patients," Harbarth said.

There was a need to dramatically change attitudes among health professionals, who are accustomed to working long hours and not letting a cough or sniffle keep them away.

Now, they were asked to stay away at the slightest symptom, and to get tested even without symptoms.

"It is really a complete change of our normal paradigm," Harbarth said. "The game has helped us do that."

In fact, he said, the game deserved some of the credit for the dramatic drop in hospital-sparked Covid infections in recent months.

Looking forward, Harbarth said he hoped games would be more widely used to reinforce important medical messages, including on vaccination.

"This is a huge challenge," he said, pointing out that not all hospital employees agree to get a Covid jab.

"A playful game... might be a good tool for distributing accurate information."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×