Meaning of the Words Pandemic, Epidemic, and Covid-19 Outbreak, as well as the History of Pandemics that Have Occurred

Kapanlagi.com - The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the covid-19 virus was declared a pandemic in March 2020. The announcement was made because at that time, covid-19 had infected more than 118,000 people in 114 countries and its spread is still ongoing. Since then, many people have been curious and have been searching for the meaning of the word pandemic.

In addition to pandemic, you may also often hear the words epidemic and outbreak. These two words are also often used in discussions about the spread of the virus. It is understandable if you are curious about the meaning of the words pandemic, epidemic, and outbreak, as they have been dominating topics lately.

Therefore, it is important for you to know the meaning of the words pandemic, as well as epidemic and outbreak. By doing so, you can understand in more detail the development of the covid-19 pandemic which cases are still fluctuating every day. In addition, there is information about the history of several pandemics that have occurred in the world.

1. Meaning of Pandemic, Epidemic, and Outbreak According to KBBI

Illustration (Credit: Pixabay)

1. Meaning of the Word Pandemic

The meaning of the word pandemic refers to an epidemic that spreads simultaneously everywhere and covers a wide geographical area. That wide geographical area can be a country or a global region. An epidemic falls into the category of a pandemic if it is an infectious disease with a continuous infection line.

When a disease case is found in one country and then spreads to other countries, that case can be called a pandemic.

2. Meaning of the Word Epidemic

Still referring to the dictionary, the meaning of the word epidemic is a rapidly spreading infectious disease in a wide area that causes many victims, for example, a disease that does not consistently spread in that area. In addition, according to verywell, epidemic is a term often used to describe all problems that grow out of control.

The definition of an epidemic is a disease outbreak that occurs in a wide geographic area and affects a very high proportion of the population. For example, the Covid-19 cases that initially spread in Wuhan, China can be considered as an outbreak in Wuhan that has developed into an epidemic.

3. Meaning of the Word Epidemic

Not much different from endemic, the meaning of the word epidemic according to KBBI is a contagious disease that spreads rapidly, affecting a large number of people in a wide area (such as smallpox, dysentery, cholera). A disease can be called an epidemic if the disease has not infected the community for a long time or if a new disease comes that is not known before, and the number of infected people is more than usual.

2. Meaning of Covid-19 Pandemic According to WHO

Illustration (Credit: Pixabay)

Since declared as a pandemic in March 2020, WHO has noted that the spread of the Covid-19 virus has reached 224 countries with 214,468,601 confirmed cases. In accordance with the meaning of pandemic, WHO's decision to classify Covid-19 as a pandemic is based on its widespread global spread.

Although it may seem frightening, based on information from the Covid-19 Handling Task Force website, the term does not imply the severity of the disease, but rather its extensive spread. It can be considered non-severe if an infected person only experiences mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, which can recover within a few weeks.

However, it can be very risky when it affects vulnerable groups who are elderly or have chronic health problems (heart, diabetes, high blood pressure). Therefore, it is important for you to implement the 5M measures, which are wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining distance, avoiding crowds, and reducing mobility. Don't forget to support the vaccination program as well, KLovers!

3. History of Past Pandemics

Illustration (Credit: Pixabay)

After knowing the meaning of the word pandemic, why not also learn about the history of this? Just listen to some information about the history of pandemics that have occurred below.

1. Black Death

The epidemic that caused the death of one-third of the world's population is estimated to have originated from Asia and moved west. This epidemic entered Sicily in 1347 brought by patients arriving at the port of Messina. After that, the epidemic spread rapidly throughout Europe.

As a result, many corpses were left to rot and spread a foul odor in every corner of the city. This event also affected the national defense of the country. For example, England and France called for a ceasefire because they were helpless against this epidemic. The Feudal System in England also collapsed because the plague also changed the economic and demographic conditions.

The population in Greenland was devastated, the Vikings had no power to fight against the native inhabitants, and had no choice but to stop their exploration in North America.

2. Cholera Pandemic

The first cholera pandemic originated from Russia. This small intestine infection caused one million deaths. Spreading through contaminated water and food, the bacteria spread to India brought by the British army. Not only that, the British kingdom and its navy also spread cholera to Spain, Africa, Indonesia, China, and so on. The spread resulted in 150,000 deaths.

3. Spanish Flu

Bird flu caused 50 million deaths worldwide. In 1918, the flu first caught attention in Europe, the United States, and some countries in Asia before spreading worldwide. At that time, there were no effective vaccines or drugs to treat the virus that caused many deaths. Reports in Madrid in the spring of 1918 led to the epidemic being called the "Spanish flu".

However, by 1919, the threat of this flu disappeared because most of those infected had developed immunity or died.

4. HIV/AIDS

In 1981, AIDS was first identified as a weakening of a person's immune system that could lead to death. The disease that should have been fought off by the body became unbeatable due to a weak immune system. This virus can be transmitted through body fluids, such as blood, genital fluids, shared needle use, and pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.

This disease was first observed by the American gay community, but it was previously believed to be a development of a chimpanzee virus that had existed since the 1920s. Afterward, the virus spread to Haiti in the 1960s, New York and San Francisco in the 1970s, and continued to spread in various parts of the world until now. The medicine to cure this disease has not been found yet. However, the good news is that treatment to slow down the progression of this disease has been implemented.

(Source: covid19.go.id, history.com, verywellhealth.com)

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