As the coronavirus continues to dominate headlines around the world, here is a glossary of common words and terms used in connection with the disease.
– Coronaviruses: A group of viruses that causes a variety of illnesses, including the common cold and more serious respiratory conditions.
– Covid-19: The name of the respiratory illness caused by the latest type of coronavirus. This particular type was identified in Wuhan City, China, in January 2020.
– Social distancing: Action taken to mitigate the spread of the disease by reducing people’s contact with each other. Examples include closing schools, encouraging staff to work from home and reducing the number of large-scale public gatherings.
– Community transmission: When a person contracts the virus despite not having travelled to an affected area such as China, or not being in contact with someone known to have the disease.
– Pandemic: A worldwide spread of a new disease.
– Endemic: The constant presence of a disease in a population within a certain area.
– Outbreak: The number of disease cases that exceed what is normally expected.
– Containment phase: Steps introduced to prevent the virus from spreading across the UK for as long as possible, such as detecting early cases and trying to establish who the infected person has been in contact with.
– Delay phase: Measures introduced to reduce the peak impact of the virus and slow its spread, such restrictions on public gatherings.
– Category 1 traveller: People who should self-isolate, regardless of showing any symptoms, if they have travelled to the Hubei Province in China, Iran, northern Italy, or Daegu and Cheongdo in South Korea.
– Category 2 traveller: Travellers returning from countries including Japan, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. These people should only self-isolate and call NHS 111 if they develop symptoms.
