Students at Bovington Academy discover how easily coronavirus germs spread if not caught in a tissue or one’s elbow

Students at a Wareham primary school have found out how easily germs such as coronavirus spread if not caught in a tissue or one’s elbow.

As part of this year’s British Science Week (March 5^th to March 14^th), the youngsters at Bovington Academy created an experiment to mimic the effects of a virus.

The Year 5 and Year 6 pupils started the week by researching English physician Edward Jenner. The renowned scientist pioneered the concept of vaccines including creating the smallpox vaccine, the world’s first vaccine.

As the week progressed, pupils moved on to demonstrate how a virus can spread through a sneeze using a balloon and glitter.

The students also looked at inventions to stop the spread of coronavirus, examples include a drinking water vaccination programme; a robotic device that locates the virus in a room and then sucks it away keeping your house coronavirus free and a nail varnish that alerts you to the virus on your fingers so that you can wash your hands thoroughly.

Sara White, Principal at Bovington Academy, told the Dorset Echo: ‘’There are definitely some inventors of the future in this year group! The students really enjoyed celebrating British Science Week. Science is all around us every day and there are lots of ways we can engage and celebrate the role that science plays in all our lives. With the backdrop of a global pandemic, now it is more important than ever that we embrace and explore it. The importance of learning about vaccinations and their role in preventing the spread of contagious, dangerous and deadly diseases is timely and relevant for the children and their families.’’