In this Post
–Common Coronavirus Words
–Social Distancing
–What is Smart Lockdown
–Quarantine vs. Isolation
–Medical Coronavirus Words
–Pandemic vs. Epidemic
–Coronavirus Vaccine
It all started in China in December 2019, which was reported to be the very first country to be hit by the novel coronavirus. This highly contagious virus rapidly spread and infected millions of people around the globe in a matter of a few months. Our country couldn’t escape this outbreak and the first two cases of coronavirus in Pakistan were reported in February 2020. To contain the spread of the disease and help the affected people the government of Pakistan took some important measures pertaining to the ongoing medical outbreak and advised people to limit their social activities. This pandemic has not only changed our lifestyle but also made many new terms a part of our day-to-day conversations that weren’t common before. So, if you want to learn about some of the most common coronavirus-related terms you have been hearing lately, we have got you covered. Take a look at our version of the coronavirus glossary having all the key terms related to the ongoing medical outbreak through this blog.
Let’s begin!
COVID-19 Glossary: Some Common Coronavirus Related Terms You Need to Know About
We have divided our glossary into two categories of terms, which are as follows:
- General Coronavirus Terms
- Medical Coronavirus Terms
General Coronavirus Terms
First of all, in our coronavirus glossary, we’ll be discussing some general coronavirus related terms, which are more about safety and change in our lifestyle habits. So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at these common coronavirus terms.
- Social Distancing
- Flatten the Curve
- Lockdown
- Quarantine and Isolation
- Outbreak
Social Distancing
We may not have heard of the term “social distancing”, at least not before the coronavirus outbreak in Pakistan. However, it has now become one of the most common coronavirus terminologies that people use in their day-today conversations these days. You may even see public service announcements and messages by different brands and authorities advising people about social distancing since it’s one of the most effective ways to fight the disease, prevent its spread and flatten the curve. Now, you may be wondering what do we mean from the term “flatten the curve”? So, let’s discuss this term next.
Note: You may also want to take a look at our blog discussing the do’s and don’ts of social distancing.
Flatten the Curve
The curve of the graph of the coronavirus spike may get flatter, milder, and less pronounced with people taking all the precautionary measures like disinfecting themselves and their surroundings, sanitising their hands regularly by washing and using hand sanitiser, either purchased from the market or the homemade one and practicing social distancing. Flattening the curve is all about reducing fatalities and buying hospitals time to treat patients and authorities to help the affected people during the coronavirus outbreak in Pakistan and rest of the world. Slowing the spread of the discussion may also allow doctors to discover therapies and scientists to create a vaccine without panicking.
Lockdown
Lockdown has now become one of the most commonly used coronavirus related terms these days. In Pakistan, the federal and provincial authorities have put in either partial or complete lockdown in order to limit social activities of the general public and to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Smart Lockdown
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, smart lockdowns in Pakistan are imposed every now and then by the national and provincial authorities. In a smart lockdown, only the most densely populated and infected areas are sealed to prevent the virus from spreading and the restrictions are eased on economic activities while strictly following the coronavirus SOPs. This is considered a better, safer, and more sustainable option to combat COVID-19 than imposing a complete lockdown, which could have a backlash.
Quarantine and Isolation
People often confuse the term “quarantine” with “isolation” since they think both of these terms are the same, which may not be true. Quarantine is all about preventing people from catching a viral infection or disease. On the other hand, the state of isolation is for people who may have been sick or infected and may potentially pass on the disease to others. They may stay that way until they get fully recovered and start to feel healthy. We have elaborated further on the difference between quarantine and isolation in our blog about ways to prepare yourself for home quarantine.
Outbreak
When there is a sudden rise in the incidences related to the spread of a certain type of disease or virus, it is termed as an outbreak. An outbreak can be pandemic or epidemic, depending on the intensity of the spread of the disease. The difference between both of these terms have been elaborated further in the blog.
Medical Coronavirus Terms
The next part of our COVID-19 glossary will focus on some common medical coronavirus, some of which may be entirely new to you and may not be aware of their meanings. The common coronavirus words related to medical facilities and healthcare have been listed as under:
- Novel Coronavirus
- COVID-19
- Pandemic and Epidemic
- N95 Mask and Other Face Coverings
- Ventilator
- Coronavirus Vaccine
Novel Coronavirus
A virus that has never been encountered in humans before is termed as a novel virus. This is why we often hear coronavirus being generally termed as the “novel coronavirus”. The official name of this virus is SARS-COV2, which belongs to the family of the viruses spreading and multiplying at microscopic levels.
COVID-19
Most of us may use COVID-19 as an alternative name for coronavirus, but that will only confuse matters. The full form of COVID-19 is “coronavirus disease 2019,” which is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus causes. Commonly it has been observed that at the initial stage, it brings on flu-like symptoms to its patients, but in the later stages it may dangerously affect multiple organs in the human body. Things can become fatal if the patient is unable to breathe and may need oxygen through ventilators to breathe, often for weeks. The fear is that fatalities will occur when patient need for ventilators outstrips the supply.
Pandemic and Epidemic
An epidemic is defined as an outbreak of disease, which spreads quickly and affects scores of victims at the same time. It may be a region-specific medical outbreak. On the other hand a pandemic is a medical outbreak that occurs in comparatively a wide geographic area and even in different parts of the world. It may affect a high proportion of the population. Since the difference between both of these terms is subtle, they are being used interchangeably these days and are on our list of some common coronavirus related terms.
Infectious and Contagious
Similar to what we have seen in pandemic and epidemic, contagious and infectious can also cause confusion. Both of these are medical terminologies, which overlap in many ways, yet also have meanings which may be distinct in some ways. For example, the literal meaning of contagious is transmissible either by direct or indirect contact with an infected person, and on the other hand infectious is more about germs and bacteria producing or capable of producing infection. Both contagious and infectious diseases are caused by different types of viruses that vary in nature and have different symptoms as well as ways of behaving and spreading. Now you know the difference between infectious and contagious that are among the most common coronavirus terminologies these days.
N95 Mask and Other Face Coverings
Coronavirus has been categorised as a respiratory illness that spreads in the form of vaporised droplets. N95 masks have turned out to be the most proven type of masks to protect you from catching COVID-19. Other types of effective face-coverings in this regard may include surgical masks. People have also been using fabric masks these days. Well, they are not clinically proven to be effective when it comes to blocking the smallest of particles that stay in the air for up to 30 minutes and get you infected with the virus. On a side note, you may also want to take a look at our guide on how to wear a face mask properly to protect yourself from the coronavirus.
In case your local market runs short of surgical masks or N95 mask supplies then you’ll be left with no option but to use homemade coverings that may also be regarded as effective at protecting you from viruses ejected in the form of large droplets into the air through someone sneezing and coughing.
Note: Read this blog to learn more about making your own DIY mask at home.
Ventilator
Ventilator is a medical equipment providing oxygen to patients who either have breathing problems or are unable to breathe. In the worst case scenarios, the coronavirus patients are put on ventilators since this virus cause severe damage to the lungs of the patients who have weaker immune systems
Coronavirus Vaccine
As per the statements made by the World Health Organisation (WHO), some of the top-of-the-line doctors in the world have been working on the coronavirus vaccine and it may still months be away since it is a novel virus and its vaccine has to be developed and tested from scratch. Meanwhile, you can keep yourself safe from the virus by following these WHO precautionary tips for the coronavirus outbreak.
This was our pick of some of the most common coronavirus related terms you need to know about. We hope this may help you develop a better understanding of the ongoing global pandemic situation. If you have any questions or feedback related to the above-mentioned common coronavirus terms, feel free to reach out to us at blog@zameen.com.
Since you are here reading about the novel coronavirus, you may also be interested in reading our blogs on tips for travelling during the coronavirus outbreak, ways to take care of your pets during the COVID-19 epidemic, how coronavirus is affecting the economy of the country, and measures that the government has taken to support small businesses in Pakistan.
Keep reading Zameen Blogs to catch the latest updates on coronavirus in Pakistan. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our email newsletter to receive daily email alerts from our blog section.
