The COVID-19 pandemic has changed
the way we go about our lives and it is already creating more new words than
any other cataclysmic event since the last world war.
In fact, there are not so many new words as new usages and combinations of words which, were it not for the fact that this concerns everyone, would just be medical or official jargon.
The world in the 21st century is a global village, and just how closely we live within it has become dramatically clear from coronavirus: this virus does not respect any borders.
Coronavirus emerged in China, but it still is not clear who patient zero was and when they were infected – in November or earlier. The world watched in horror as the number of fatalities in China rose rapidly. Since then, what was an epidemic has turned into a pandemic, and Europe has become its epicentre. Each country is taking measures to try and contain the virus.
In the early days of the virus, it emerged in clusters or hotspots, but now has spread more widely through the population. Contact-tracing remains vital to stopping the spread. Buildings where people with the virus have been are deep-cleaned* before normal use can resume.
People contract a virus (= get it). When a disease passes very easily from one person to another, as this one does, we say that it is extremely infectious or highly contagious. People that have it and may pass it to others are known as carriers. Some people seem to be more infectious (= pass on the disease more) than others, and these people are known as super-spreaders.
The first person to get a new disease is known as patient zero. When a patient has signs that they are ill, we say that they show/display symptoms, in this case a fever (= high temperature), cough and respiratory difficulty (= problems with breathing). The period between catching the illness and showing symptoms is the incubation period.
When doctors have done tests and are sure that people have it, we call them confirmed or diagnosed cases. If doctors find that someone has the disease, we say that they test positive for it. If there is an unusually high number, we say that there is a spike in cases, whereas if numbers seem to have reached their highest level and are now falling, with no expectation that they will rise again, we say that they have peaked.
We often talk about the mortality rate of a disease to say what proportion of people die from it. The death toll is the number of people who have died. The start of a disease is called the outbreak.
We often talk about the mortality rate of a disease to say what proportion of people die from it. The death toll is the number of people who have died. The start of a disease is called the outbreak.
Governments have to decide how to control the spread of the virus. Towns and cities may be put/placed on/in lockdown so that nobody can enter or leave them, countries may close their borders (= stop letting people from other countries in) and airlines sometimes suspend flights (= stop flying) to certain places.
People over 70 or with underlying health conditions are particularly vulnerable to the virus. Anyone with the symptoms of a fever and/or a persistent cough has been told to quarantine themselves for 14 days. Passengers returning from an area with coronavirus may be asked to self-quarantine (= stay away from other people voluntarily).
Despite the fact that most experts don’t think they are effective, some countries have seen huge queues for face masks (= covers for your mouth and nose). A frequent 20-second hand-washing or use of hand gel, and replacement of handshakes, hugs and kisses by the Ebola handshake* are sufficient measures to stop the spread of the virus.
People can be tested for the virus with a swab. A new and faster testing kit is about to go onto the market, which could play an important part in identifying those who are infected but show no symptoms (= are asymptomatic), and thus slow down the spread even more.
The economic effects of the pandemic are enormous. Stock markets have crashed; shares have tumbled. There are fears of a global recession. More immediately, people have started panicbuying*, stockpiling various goods. There has been such a run on items such as toilet paper in some places that supermarket shelves have been left bare. Some countries have placed blanket bans on flights from certain countries. The footfall in restaurants, etc. has fallen dramatically in the space of a few days. All kinds of businesses, particularly in the entertainment sphere, are in danger of going bust – and that would mean a loss of jobs.
There are new business opportunities, though, for companies that are capable of manufacturing ventilators, masks and other medical equipment in shortage, and for delivery services.
In times of crisis, we see the worst but also the best in our fellow humans. One big positive of this global village of ours is that we now know so much about each other – and hopefully care more about each other too. We are all in this together.
Glossary
COVID-19:
a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2; first appeared in China in 2019.Also, coronavirus, Wuhan coronavirus, 2019-nCoV.
[CO(RONA)VI(RUS) + D(ISEASE) + 19 (referring to the year it was first reported)]
SARS-CoV-2: the coronavirus which causes COVID-19.
[s(evere) a(cute) r(espiratory) s(yndrome)-co(rona)v(irus)-2; 2 used to distinguish from the virus which caused SARS]
Social distancing:
(especially in epidemiology) the practice of maintaining a distance, usually specified by a health authority, between individuals, as a means of limiting transmission of an infectious disease.social distancing staying away from other people as much as possible
Self-isolating:
staying away from other people completely
Ebola handshake:
greeting someone by touching elbows with them
Deep-cleaned:
cleaned extremely carefully in order to remove the risk of infection
Panicbuying:
buying large quantities of particular products because of fears of shortages
Slang words include 'iso' for self-isolation, 'sanny' for sanitizer and 'covidiot' for someone who ignores public health warnings.
Source:
COVID-19:
a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2; first appeared in China in 2019.Also, coronavirus, Wuhan coronavirus, 2019-nCoV.
[CO(RONA)VI(RUS) + D(ISEASE) + 19 (referring to the year it was first reported)]
SARS-CoV-2: the coronavirus which causes COVID-19.
[s(evere) a(cute) r(espiratory) s(yndrome)-co(rona)v(irus)-2; 2 used to distinguish from the virus which caused SARS]
Social distancing:
(especially in epidemiology) the practice of maintaining a distance, usually specified by a health authority, between individuals, as a means of limiting transmission of an infectious disease.social distancing staying away from other people as much as possible
Self-isolating:
staying away from other people completely
Ebola handshake:
greeting someone by touching elbows with them
Deep-cleaned:
cleaned extremely carefully in order to remove the risk of infection
Panicbuying:
buying large quantities of particular products because of fears of shortages
Slang words include 'iso' for self-isolation, 'sanny' for sanitizer and 'covidiot' for someone who ignores public health warnings.
Source: