This directed case study is set during the height of the COVID-19 (SARS CoV-2) pandemic. The storyline follows “Alex” as he tries to understand how he contracted the disease. In order to understand viral transmission from surfaces, students are provided graphs showing the viability of COVID-19 versus SARS-CoV-1 on copper, cardboard, stainless steel, and plastic. Students are then provided a graph of COVID-19 case counts for New York and California along with each Governor’s pandemic response timeline from March through November 2020. By correlating epidemiological data with advised precautions, students explore the efficacy of government guidelines and safety measures to control the spread of COVID-19. This case was written for an upper-division microbiology course, but would work well in a public health or epidemiology course, or any undergraduate class requiring data analysis. The case could also be expanded to discuss social issues that may have contributed to the spread of COVID-19 during this time frame or to support the development of an epidemiological response plan.