Learn more about the effects of pandemics
Much of the globe was
introduced to an assortment
of new terms
throughout 2020. Phrases like
“social distancing” or “fl atten
the curve” were commonly
used, but these were all preceded
by the utterance of the
word “pandemic.”
What is a pandemic?
The World Health Organization
defi nes a pandemic as
a “worldwide spread of a new
disease.” The word pandemic
comes from the Greek words
“pan” (meaning “all”) and
“demos” (“people”). When a
new disease emerges, most people
lack the natural immunity
to fi ght off illness, so the disease
can spread rapidly, eventually
around the world. A pandemic
differs from an epidemic in that
an epidemic is the spread of disease
in a community or region
over a specifi c amount of time.
Epidemics often grow into pandemics.
Facts and fi gures about
pandemics
According to HealthCareers.
COURIER L 24 IFE, DECEMBER 4-10, 2020
com, the most lethal
pandemics in history were
the Spanish fl u of 1918 and the
Black Death. The Spanish fl u
lasted two years and claimed
50 million lives, according to
the United States National Archives.
In the 14th century, a
bubonic plague pandemic referred
to as “The Black Death”
caused the deaths of between
75 and 200 million people over
a period of fi ve years. In comparison,
as of October 2020,
more than 1.1 million people
have died of the COVID-19
disease worldwide, according
to NBC News and Johns
Hopkins University Coronavirus
Resource Center. Prior
to COVID-19, the most recent
pandemics occurred with the
outbreak of the Hong Kong fl u
in 1968-69, the H1N1 Swine fl u
of 2009-2010, and the Ebola outbreak
of 2014-2016. The WHO
says that most viral pandemics
have been caused by infl uenza
viruses.
Addressing pandemics
The National Center for
Biotechnology Information
indicates that globalization
increases the probability of
a pandemic. Urbanization,
travel, trade, and human-animal
interaction all lead to elevated
pandemic risk. However.
thanks to the science of
epidemiology and the development
of new medicines and
therapies, professionals have
helped to reduce death rates
due to pandemics.
Health experts say one of
the most effi cient measures
to help reduce the risk of pandemic
infection is the simplest
— the practice of social distancing.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
says social distancing means
keeping a safe distance between
oneself and others who
are not from the same household.
Many diseases spread
among people who are in close
contact (within about six feet)
for prolonged periods.
Global pandemics are nothing
new, but the public still
needs to be vigilant and do
their part to help reduce the
spread of infectious diseases.
— Metro Creative Connection
Much of the globe was introduced to an assortment of new terms throughout 2020. Phrases like “social distancing”
or “fl atten the curve” were commonly used, but these were all preceded by the word “pandemic.”
Metro Creative Connection
Health
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