Difference between Epidemic and Pandemic

Yes, these are not two same terms. There is a difference between these two major health crises.

Main Difference between an Epidemic and a Pandemic

Although the terms are sometimes used conversely, there is strictly a difference between an epidemic and a pandemic. The CDC defines an epidemic as “a sudden increase, in the number of cases of a disease above what is generally expected in that population in that area.” The certified definition of a pandemic is “an occurrence of disease that occurs over a wide earthly area and affects an extremely high part of the population”. In other words, a severe and sudden outbreak of disease would begin as an epidemic, but some may then worsen to the level of becoming a pandemic once the disease or virus has spread across countries or continents.

The Coronavirus: An Epidemic or a Pandemic

Before discovering what term would be used to describe the current health crisis, it’s helpful to review exactly what a coronavirus is. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that “coronaviruses (CoV) are a large group of viruses that cause sickness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.” A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been before acknowledged in humans. The virus presently in the news is publically called COVID-19.

The WHO recently said it’s too quick to call this outbreak a pandemic, although it cautioned that nations (and the world as a whole) need to take safety measures and be ready for that possible outcome. Other sources have now started using the pandemic label. At the very least, though, there’s no argument that this virus has advanced well into epidemic territory.

The most horrible pandemics in history                         

There’s some clash about what succeeds as the world’s “first” pandemic, partly because there is difference concerning which cases would be considered an epidemic versus a pandemic. What is observed by some specialists as the world’s first stated pandemic didn’t have an official name, though according to historians, it was probable typhoid fever. Building up steam as it passed through an extensive band of nations, it was at full force when it hit Athens around 430 B.C. and killed almost two-thirds of the population.

In the 11th century, leprosy—which had been around for centuries—rapidly increased and probable touched pandemic status as it spread across Europe. But, in the 1300s, what some experts see as the first true pandemic arrived with a revenge: The bubonic plague—nicknamed the “Black Death”—spread like wildfire through Asia and Europe. It dead out more than a third of Europe’s population and continued to hit in influences over the next few centuries, killing millions of people.

The first main flu-related pandemic was the Russian Flu, which covered around the world in the late 1800s. An outbreak of the Spanish Flu monitored roughly 20 years later. The most well-known pandemic in latest modern history was HIV/AIDS, which was first identified in the early 1980s.

By what means epidemics and pandemics are controlled

In spite of the differences between an epidemic and a pandemic, the fact of the matter is that you can get very sick from each one—and the effects can be disturbing to whole communities. Many countries have developed pandemic plans that aid officials react quickly when an outbreak occurs. Often, the focus is on justification—containing the outbreak through quarantine and instant treatment—and organizing serious resources to affected populations. In the United States, the CDC has developed a national pandemic influenza plan that summaries the response plan for flu-related illnesses.

One element of the plan is “community relief,” or trying to keep the affected persons to a limited area. This means trying to keep people who are already sick from spreading it to others. Suggested plans include regular and comprehensive handwashing, sanitizing surfaces and electronic gadgets that are used often, thorough cleaning procedures, and staying home when sick.

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