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People are turning to Plague Inc. for information about the Coronavirus outbreak

By Matthew Liebl

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - JANUARY 24: Disinfection workers wearing protective gears spray anti-septic solution in an train terminal amid rising public concerns over the spread of China's Wuhan Coronavirus at SRT train station on January 24, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to over 800 in mainland China as health officials stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts confirmed can be passed from human to human. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to twentyfive on Wednesday and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States,Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - JANUARY 24: Disinfection workers wearing protective gears spray anti-septic solution in an train terminal amid rising public concerns over the spread of China's Wuhan Coronavirus at SRT train station on January 24, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to over 800 in mainland China as health officials stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts confirmed can be passed from human to human. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to twentyfive on Wednesday and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States,Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) /
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The spreading of the Coronavirus has led to a surge in the number of players who have downloaded Plague Inc., a game about spreading a deadly plague.

The spreading of the Coronavirus has the world on edge and it seems concerned masses are looking everywhere for more information regarding the potentially deadly virus. That includes the video game Plague Inc., a real-time strategy game in which players are tasked with destroying the world with a deadly plague.

While Plague Inc. is designed to be “realistic and informative,” the developer is warning players to look elsewhere for actual information about the Coronavirus. There’s an increased number of people turning to the video game for information — which apparently happens anytime there’s an outbreak — and the developer, Ndemic Creations, felt compelled to issue a statement:

"Plague Inc. has been out for eight years now and whenever there is an outbreak of disease we see an increase in players, as people seek to find out more about how diseases spread and to understand the complexities of viral outbreaks.We specifically designed the game to be realistic and informative, while not sensationalising serious real-world issues. This has been recognised by the CDC and other leading medical organisations around the world.However, please remember that Plague Inc. is a game, not a scientific model and that the current coronavirus outbreak is a very real situation which is impacting a huge number of people. We would always recommend that players get their information directly from local and global health authorities."

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There’s a growing sense of uneasiness as the virus continues to spread. The latest reports as of Monday, January 27, are more than 2,700 confirmed cases in mainland China with 82 dead. Attempting to mitigate the danger, China has issued partial or full lockdowns on multiple cities, affecting more than 60 million people.

13 other places outside of China have reported cases of the Coronavirus, including France, Australia, Canada and the United States. There are five confirmed cases in the U.S. (California, Arizona, Illinois and Washington state), but more than 100 people in 26 states are under investigation for the disease.

On the one hand, it’s important to be informed. On the other, it’s also important to remain calm. The endless news cycle isn’t helping calm anyone’s nerves so it’s no wonder people are turning to Plague Inc. for any sort of information to help them better understand this disease. But if you wish to stay informed, the best place to go is the World Health Organization.

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That said, Plague Inc. is an incredible game that I highly recommend — just not for factual information pertaining to the Coronavirus outbreak.

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