New animated video helps kids understand COVID-19

Faizan Bhatia and Celia Kwan are third-year students with the UBC School of Medicine. When their Medicine Ed Tech rotations were cancelled, they decided to use their extra time to help create an educational resource for kids.

Their three-minute comic book style video, “COV-Ed 4 Kids”, features Super Dot, a ball-shaped superhero who explains how the virus was discovered, how it is transmitted, and what symptoms people may experience.

“COVID-19 can be this very scary and daunting subject, so we wanted to create something that was more lighthearted and fun and in simple language,” Bhatia told CTV News.

The project involved twenty people, including UBC senior video producer Zachary Rothman. Rothman’s six-year old daughter is the voice of Super Dot, the hero who explains the power of sneezing into your elbow, staying home, and washing your hands for at least 20 seconds.

“I think one of the main things is for children to feel like they're more empowered and more in control to do things, to help protect themselves and loved ones during the pandemic, and also to help them feel just a little bit more reassured during this period of uncertainty,” said Kwan.

Source: CTV News Vancouver