During this tough phase of life, most of us are staying home and following news and updates related to coronavirus i.e. COVID19 by watching TV news channels, reading newspapers, listening radio, through applications etc. but sometimes, we aren’t aware of those confusing and technical terms being used pertaining to the outbreak.
Understanding these terms is essential and through this blog, we want you to stay informed and updated.
- Epidemic (eh-puh-deh-muhk)- महामारी
Meaning- A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time.
Example- Know how the novel coronavirus went from epidemic to global pandemic
- Pandemic (pan-deh-mik)-विश्व मारी/सर्वव्यापी महामारी
Meaning- Alternate word for Epidemic, which means a worldwide spread of a new disease.
Example- Here are the latest coronavirus pandemic news from around the world
- Furlough- (Fuh-low) – गैरहाजिरी की छुट्टी
Meaning- A temporary layoff from work, a temporary unpaid leave from work, which employers typically resort to as a cost-saving measure, this may be due to economic conditions of an employer or in the economy as a whole.
Example- Due to coronavirus, lockdown, and economic crisis, employers had to furlough workers.
- Quarantine (Kvaw-ran-teen)- अलग करना
Meaning-A strict isolation imposed to prevent the spread of disease.
A restriction on the movement of people and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease.
Example- Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a coronavirus to see if they become sick.
- Self-quarantine is when someone isn’t ordered to go into quarantine but chooses to do so out of caution; also called voluntary quarantine.
- Isolation- एकांत
Meaning-Isolation represents one of several measures that can be taken to implement infection control; the prevention of contagious diseases from being spread from a patient to other patients, health care workers, and visitors, or from outsiders to a particular patient.
Example- Self-isolation is voluntary isolation. One can self-isolate even if they aren’t infected with the coronavirus.
Please note – Isolation and quarantine are public health practices used to protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease.
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- Social distancing- सामाजिक दूरी रखना
Meaning-Social distancing refers to measures that reduce contact between large groups of people.
Example-Lockdown, social distancing measures can’t continue forever amidst coronavirus
- Mitigation- शमन- Disease mitigation – रोग का शमन
Meaning- Measures taken to slow the spread of infection.
Example-Quarantine, isolation, and social distancing are forms of mitigation.
- Respirator- श्वासयंत्र
Meaning – A device that can help one to breathe, either for a medical reason or to filter out dust, gas, or anything else too nasty to inhale.
Example – Respirator mask is worn over the mouth and nose or the entire face to prevent the inhalation of dust, smoke, or other noxious substances.
- Ventilator
Meaning – This is a machine that supports breathing, helps people breathe easier by delivering breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently.
Example – There is a shortage of ventilators in hospitals as COVID-19 infections continue to rise.
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- Community spread- सामुदायिक फैलाव
Meaning- Community spread is the spread of a disease where the infection source is unknown.
Example- Community spread of COVID-19 has been noticed in many parts of the country.
- Droplet infection- बूंद-बूंद संक्रमण
Meaning– Droplet means a small drop of liquid. Droplet infection is an infection transmitted from one individual to another by droplets of moisture expelled from the upper respiratory tract through sneezing or coughing.
Example- Authorities believe the coronavirus spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
- Air borne disease – वायु जनित रोग
Meaning– Air borne disease spreads when people with certain infections cough, sneeze or talk, spewing nasal and throat secretions into the air.
Example- Health officials say the Coronavirus virus is transported only through droplets, it is not an airborne disease.
- Screening- जाँच
Meaning – Examining a person to see if they have a disease.
Example- Amid rising COVID-19 cases, Door-to-door screening of people will be done in Chandigarh, India.
- Lockdown
Meaning – When people aren’t allowed to enter/leave a building/area freely because of an emergency.
Example- Lockdown has been imposed all over the country due to coronavirus.
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Some more important words that you read and hear these days:
- Contact Tracing- Finding out all the people who have come into direct contact with a person infected with a disease.
Example- Apple and Google have shared sample interface of their contact tracing system that aims to track potential COVID-19 positive cases.
- Shelter in place- To stay in a safe place indoors due to an emergency until given permission by authorities to evacuate.
- WHO- World Health Organization, a United Nations agency based in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Epidemiology- The branch of medicine dealing with the incidence and prevalence of the disease in large populations and with detection of the source and cause of epidemics of infectious disease.
- Incubation period- The period between infection and the appearance of signs of disease.
- Patient zero- The 1st person identified as infected with a communicable disease during an outbreak.
- Index case– The first known case of an infectious or genetic disease in a group of cases.
- Zoonotic- Relating to any disease of animals communicable to humans.
- Chloroquine (clo-row-queen)and Hydroxychloroquine – A drug used to treat malaria. It is being explored and tested as a possible treatment for the novel Coronavirus.
- Last but not the least, COVID is short for coronavirus disease. The number 19 refers to the fact that the disease was first detected in 2019.
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