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Public Health & Epidemiology vocabulary · Outbreaks and Transmission

Pandemic

Meaning in public health & epidemiology, with examples

/pænˈdemɪk/nounCore term

In public health & epidemiology, pandemic means: An epidemic that spreads across several countries or continents and affects a very large number of people.

In Turkish: pandemi, küresel salgın

How it is used

Mostly used for new infections that spread worldwide, such as the influenza pandemics of 1918 and 2009 or COVID-19. People talk about pandemic preparedness, the pandemic response and life before and after the pandemic.

Example sentences

  1. Every country needs an up-to-date pandemic preparedness plan.

  2. During the pandemic, many routine vaccination services were disrupted.

Common collocations

  • pandemic preparedness
  • global pandemic
  • influenza pandemic
  • pandemic response
  • during the pandemic
  • epidemicA rise in cases of a disease well above the expected level in a population or region, usually spreading more widely than an outbreak.
  • outbreakA sudden rise in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected, usually limited to one place, group or event.
  • WHOShort for the World Health Organization, the United Nations agency for international public health, founded in 1948 and based in Geneva.
  • International Health RegulationsA legally binding international agreement that sets out how countries and WHO must detect, report and respond to public health risks that may spread across borders.

More terms: Outbreaks and Transmission

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.