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- The word of the year is “pandemic”.
- On March 11, 2020, online searches for “pandemic” increased by 13,500%.
- The pandemic is described as “an epidemic that occurs throughout the world and affects large numbers of people.”
Both Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com announced Monday that “pandemic” was the word of the year.
“The pandemic is probably not a big surprise. Often times, big news has a technical word associated with it, and in this case, the word pandemic is not just technical, it has become widespread. It is probably the word we will refer to. to this period in the future, “said Peter Sokolowski, general editor of Merriam-Webster, The Guardian.
According to John Kelly, senior research editor at Dictionary.com, online searches for the word “pandemic” increased by more than 13,500% on March 11, when the World Health Organization declared an outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global health emergency.
WHAT IS A PANDEMIC?
the World Health Organization (WHO) on its website provides the following description: “A pandemic is defined as ‘an epidemic that occurs worldwide or in a very wide area, which crosses international borders and generally affects large numbers of people.’ Classic definition does not include anything about population immunity, virology, or disease severity.
“By this definition, pandemics can be said to occur annually in each of the temperate southern and northern hemispheres, since seasonal epidemics cross international borders and affect large numbers of people. However, seasonal epidemics they are not considered pandemics. “
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
What is the difference between an outbreak, an epidemic, and a pandemic? Merriam Webster He defines it as follows: “An outbreak is ‘a sudden increase in the incidence of a disease’ and is generally limited to a localized area or a specific group of people.
“If an outbreak becomes more severe and less localized, it can be characterized as an epidemic. If it spreads further and affects a significant part of the population, the disease can be characterized as a pandemic.”
(Sources: The Guardian, Merriam-Webster, WHO)
