Arabic network takes viewers way back to 1348 in AR pandemic explainer

Arabic language Alghad TV created an immersive augmented reality explainer that took viewers on a whirlwind tour through time and the great epidemics and pandemics earth has experienced — all in an effort to compare to the current coronavirus outbreak.

The segment starts in a futuristic and sterile looking “lab” complete with virtual workers and equipment with a male presenter using a translucent projection “screen” to showcase years and key facts.

The “screen” also serves as a sort of portal to transition to a female presenter who stands inside of each a scene from each of the major outbreaks showcased in the segment.

The segment walks viewers through the 1348 Black Death, 1665 plague in London, 1820 yellow fever outbreak, 1918 Spanish flu outbreak and its effects on World War I, the 2002 SARS outbreak and 2009’s H1N1.