By Chee Jo-Ey
AS the Covid-19 outbreak increasingly permeates all aspects of our lives, most of us are understandably keeping our ears close to the ground waiting for every breaking news on the pandemic. Here is a list of key terms that might help you learn more about the global phenomenon that has spooked the world.
Virus: A virus is an infectious agent that consists of either DNA or RNA, proteins and lipids. Viruses enter host cells, hijack the enzyme and replicates. When the attacked cell succumbs, all these viruses will move on to invade other cells. Viruses can remain active without a host for hours, even days.
Covid-19: A mild to severe respiratory illness that is caused by a coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 of the genus Betacoronavirus). It is transmitted chiefly by contact with infectious materials (such as respiratory droplets), and is characterised especially by fever, cough, and shortness of breath and may progress to pneumonia and respiratory failure.
Epidemic: An increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area. Outbreak is used for a more limited geographic area.
Pandemic: An epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people.
Social distancing: According to the US Centres for Disease Control, social distancing is “remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance (approximately six feet) from others when possible”.
Symptomatic: This is when a person displays symptoms of Covid-19 like fever, cough and breathlessness while asymptomatic is not showing the signs. In the early stages of contracting the virus, there’s a chance that the virus might not get detected.
Morbidity rate: A measure of how many people have an illness relative to the population while mortality rate gauges the number of deaths attributed to an illness relative to the population.
Lockdown: An emergency measure or condition in which people are temporarily prevented from entering or leaving a restricted area or building (such as a school) during a threat of danger. – March 17, 2020
