On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Here is a look at all the key terms that have emerged or that have taken on a new meaning since the first case was reported in China on 31 December 2019.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is an acronym created by the World Health Organisation () to describe the respiratory disease caused by the "novel" coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). It stands for "coronavirus disease of 2019". CO = corona; VI = virus; D = disease; 19 denotes 2019.
SARS-CoV-2 is the name given to the "novel" coronavirus that was first detected late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan. (Source: )
Coronavirus: A family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases, including SARS and MERS.
The difference between an epidemic and a pandemic
COVID-19 has been labelled a pandemic by WHO. But what is the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic?
According to the, an epidemic is "the occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness, specific health-related behaviour, or other health-related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy".
Patient zero is the person identified as the first carrier of a communicable disease in an outbreak of related cases.
An outbreak is a disease that occurs in greater numbers than expected in a community or region or during a season.
Health workers wearing protective suits check citizens during the COVID-19 rapid test in West Java, Indonesia. Source: AAP
Case-fatality rate, mortality rate and attack rate
As COVID-19 spreads around the world, people have been trying to wrap their heads around the statistics, to understand what level of risk this virus poses to them and their loved ones. Here are some key terms used.
(CFR), or the fatality ratio, is the proportion of people who died from a certain disease among the total infected population.
The case fatality rate is different from the mortality rate as CFR only measures against the total infected number, whereas the mortality rate is the measure of deaths in a total population.
The is a helpful measurement to determine the frequency of deaths and the speed of spread in a specific population, for example among elderly people or children or residents of specific geographical areas.
Containment, mitigation and suppression
is the effort by a community to determine who is infected and to isolate them in order to contain the threat while keeping the healthy population separated.
, the process used to understand how an infectious disease is spreading in a community, is key in the containment phase. contact tracing has two purposes: to figure out who a sick person caught an illness from and to find out who they’ve been in contact with while infectious.
Once a country gets a certain number of cases, it's hard to contact-trace back the way it could be done originally. So, it moves to mitigation, which refers to efforts to “slow but not necessarily stop the epidemic spread – reducing peak healthcare demand while protecting those most at risk of severe disease from infection.” ()
This is done by isolating suspected cases and their households, and making sure to keep a distance from the elderly and people at the highest risk of serious illness.
A step further from mitigation is suppression, which, “aims to reverse epidemic growth, reducing case numbers to low levels” through social distancing the entire population “indefinitely” and closing all public activities, including schools and universities.
Often a "suppression phase" coincides with a "lockdown" (explained below).
Flattening the curve
"Flattening the curve" refers to efforts to slow a virus’ spread so that fewer people need to seek health treatment at any given time.
The "curve" refers to the projected number of people who will contract COVID-19 over a period of time.
The faster the infection curve rises, the quicker the local health care system gets overloaded beyond its capacity to treat people. So, a slower infection rate means a less stressed health care system.
"Social distancing" practices aim to accomplish this and to slow transmission and spread the infections as thin as possible over time so health systems can cope.
Social distancing
consists of deliberately increasing the physical space between people in order to avoid spreading illnesses. Basically, the more space between people, the harder it is for the virus to spread.
In Australia, people must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless they are direct family or household.
According to Australia's Department of Health, that Australians must avoid physical greetings such as handshaking, hugs and kisses; pay by 'tap and go' instead of cash; travel at quiet times and avoid crowds; avoid public gatherings and at-risk groups like older people and practise .
unless it is absolutely necessary to go outside. They are permitted to leave home only if it is essential, such as for shopping for food; exercising — in a public space such as a park, limited to no more than 2 people; going out for medical appointments or to the pharmacy; providing care or support to another person in a place other than your home and going to work if it's not possible to work from home.
Lockdown
A “lockdown” is a strict order to stay at home which may include curfews, fines and arrests when people are found outside the home without a valid reason.
The purpose of a lockdown is to reduce the number of people each confirmed case infects.
The goal is to keep "reproduction" below one — with each case infecting fewer than one other person on average.
Countries such as China, Italy and France have implemented a government-imposed ban on any movement inside the country and the closing of all non-essential businesses.
In March, police squads in Rome checked citizens' documents and imposed fines for individuals that did not have valid excuses, even those out on walks or seen taking pictures outside.
Prior to COVID-19, the term 'lockdown' was used to respond to a threat such as a shooting or bombing.
To fight the Coronavirus Italian police use vehicles equipped with water cannons to clean the streets Rome at the Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Source: AAP
Shelter-in-Place
More than three-fourths of Americans are now covered by a "shelter-in-place" order.
In recent weeks, US state and local officials ordered residents to stay in their homes and limit travel to essential trips, like picking up groceries, going to the bank, or receiving medical care. Some shelter-in-place orders have provisions permitting residents to walk or exercise outside in public spaces, so long as they stay 6 feet away from others.
Prior to COVID-19, the term "Shelter-in-Place" was used for environmental concerns such as hurricanes or chemical spills.
Self-isolation and self-quarantining
According to the Australian "self-isolation means you must stay home for 14 days. You must self-isolate if you have COVID-19, or you have been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or you arrived in Australia after midnight on 15 March 2020".
"Self-isolation means staying at home or in your hotel room for 14 days. This is to prevent the possible spread of the virus to other people" theexplains.
A person who is self-isolating must not leave their home/hotel unless it is an emergency. They must not go to public places such as work or shopping centres, nor let visitors in.
In Australia, the terms "self-isolation" and "self-quarantining" are used interchangeably, while in other countries like the USA, they mean slightly different things.
According to the US Department of Health, "isolation" separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick, while "quarantine" separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms.
An empty Tamarama Beach in Sydney. Source: Getty
Travel ban
On 24 March 2020, the Prime Minister announced under the Biosecurity Act 2015. There are limited exceptions, for example, to allow people to return home if their normal place of residence is overseas. This process is managed by the Department of Home Affairs.
What does 'advice level' mean?
Before announcing a ban on all overseas travel, the federal government issued a Level 4 Advice, warning Australians not to leave the country. There are four levels of advice issued by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The higher the advice level, the higher the risk.
Essential versus non-essential services
On March 23, the PM announced the closure of all . But which services are considered “essential”?
Essential services – remaining open
• Supermarkets
• Convenience stores
• Butchers
• Grocers
• Markets
• Bottle shops
• Petrol stations
• Pharmacies
• All allied health centres
• Shopping centres (eateries in food courts permitted to do takeaway only)
• Hairdressers and barbers
• Schools remain open for “essential workers”
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Other key terms
As well as all the terms outlined above that are key to understanding governments' strategies to deal with the pandemic, there are more terms used in the context of talking about the coronavirus. We'll list them here in alphabetical order.
Anticipatory anxiety: worry and fear when thinking about an event that may or may not occur in the future.
Close contact: A person who may be at risk of a contagious disease because of their proximity or exposure to a known case.
Community transmission/spread: Infections identified in a given geographic area without a history of travel elsewhere and no connection to a known case.
Cordon sanitaire: A measure preventing anyone from leaving a defined geographic area, such as a community, region, or country infected by a disease to stop the spread of the disease.
Droplet transmission/spread: A mode of transmission for a contagious disease that involves relatively large, short-range (less than 6 feet) respiratory droplets produced by sneezing, coughing, or talking. (Source: .
Chronic medical condition: a long-term health problem, such as arthritis, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and others.
Community spread: spread of an illness in an area. People may not be sure how or where they became infected.
Containment zone: a specific area where certain measures, such as shutdowns for certain services are implemented to prevent the spread of a disease.
Drive-through testing: sites that allow people to drive up and remain in their vehicles for healthcare workers to perform a screening test, such as a nasal swab.
Droplets: a small particle of moisture discharged from the mouth during coughing, sneezing or speaking that may transmit infections while airborne to others.
South Australia Hospital staff simulate a drive-through coronavirus testing at the Repatriation Hospital in Adelaide, Tuesday, 10 March, 2020. Source: AAP
Dry cough/wet cough: Dry cough has no mucous from the windpipe. Wet cough has mucous produced from the windpipe.
Elective surgeries: Procedures that are considered non-urgent and non-essential.
Essential government functions: All services needed to ensure the continuing operation of the government agencies and provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public.
Face mask: a protective covering for the mouth and nose, which is usually disposable after use.
Fomite: An inanimate object that can be the vehicle for transmission of an infectious agent (for example, door handles, fabric and plastic). There is evidence that coronavirus spreads via fomites although this is a less common route of transmission. (Sources: )
Hand sanitiser: a liquid or gel used to kill germs on the hands.
Hot spots: areas of increased incidence, risk and probability of disease.
Immunocompromised: having a weakened immune system due to conditions such as AIDS, cancer, diabetes, malnutrition, and certain genetic disorders.
Immunosuppressing medications: drugs that reduce the strength of the body’s immune system and are used to make the body less likely to reject a transplanted organ.
Infectious disease: a disease caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi and can be spread from one person to another.
Negative-pressure rooms: Rooms specifically designed for patients with contagious diseases, with special a ventilation system that prevents the air inside the room from being released into any other part of the hospital.
N95 respirator mask: a protective device made to fit snugly over the mouth and nose to prevent inhalation of airborne particles. This mask will filter at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) particles.
PPE: “Personal protective equipment”. Examples include face shields, gloves, goggles, gowns, head covers, masks, respirators and shoe covers.
R0 / reproductive rate: It is an estimate of the average number of new cases of a disease that each case generates at a given point in time.
Screening: a brief assessment for coronavirus symptoms, such as a temperature check and observation for cough or difficulty breathing.
State of emergency: a situation that grants authorities increased powers in a certain area during occurrences, such as civil unrest, a natural disaster or a pandemic.
Screening: a brief assessment for coronavirus symptoms, such as a temperature check and observation for cough or difficulty breathing.
Testing/testing kits: testing for COVID-19 involves a nasal swab using a testing kit, which contains all items needed to do the test and seal it to send to a lab.
Transmission: the passing of a disease from an infected person to a previously uninfected person.
Ventilator: A device that delivers air into the lungs through a tube that is placed into the mouth or nose and down into the windpipe.
Viral shedding: The period of time after the virus has replicated in the host and is being emitted.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
Medical workers wearing a face mask holds a 'Stay at Home' poster at a medical center in Jakarta, Indonesia. Source: AAP
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor (don’t visit) or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000. SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments.