epidemics
Rapidly spreading illnesses
Epidemics are outbreaks of disease that spread rapidly through a population, affecting many people at once: The flu epidemic swept through the school.
The term extends to any widespread occurrence of something undesirable: an epidemic of gun violence, an epidemic of misinformation.
As an adjective, epidemic describes such rapid spread: Violence had reached epidemic proportions.
Sending of information
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- propagationAct of spreading widely
- diffusionPassive molecular spreading
infection · proliferation · dissemination · escalation · surge · flare-up · cluster · hotspot
Deadly epidemic disease
- choleraBacterial disease causing fatal dehydration
- influenzaAcute viral respiratory infection
- typhoidSalmonella-caused systemic infection
- tuberculosisMycobacterial lung disease
smallpox · polio · measles · mumps · rubella · diphtheria · meningitis · hepatitis
Isolation preventing disease transmission
- isolationComplete separation from others
- vaccinationAdministered immunity booster
- immunizationProtective medical injection
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
lockdown · surveillance · screening · sanitation · disinfection · hygiene · prevention · treatment
Microscopic infectious agent
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- microbeMicroscopic living organism
- vectorQuantity with direction
host · carrier · reservoir · mutation · strain · variant · incubation · zoonosis
State of eventual death
- fatalityDeath from accident
- casualtiesThose killed or wounded
- morbidityDisease occurrence rate
- hospitalizationFormal entry into medical care
crisis · emergency · panic · fear · devastation · collapse · orphans · frontline
WHO-named 2019 coronavirus
- H1N1Influenza A subtype
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- historicalOf documented times
- chroniclesSequential historical accounts
transmission
Sending of information
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- propagationAct of spreading widely
diffusion · infection · proliferation · dissemination · escalation · surge · flare-up · cluster · hotspot · wave
plague
Deadly epidemic disease
- choleraBacterial disease causing fatal dehydration
- influenzaAcute viral respiratory infection
- typhoidSalmonella-caused systemic infection
tuberculosis · smallpox · polio · measles · mumps · rubella · diphtheria · meningitis · hepatitis · HIV
quarantine
Isolation preventing disease transmission
- isolationComplete separation from others
- vaccinationAdministered immunity booster
- immunizationProtective medical injection
containment · lockdown · surveillance · screening · sanitation · disinfection · hygiene · prevention · treatment · antiviral
virus
Microscopic infectious agent
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- microbeMicroscopic living organism
vector · host · carrier · reservoir · mutation · strain · variant · incubation · zoonosis · virulence
mortality
State of eventual death
- fatalityDeath from accident
- casualtiesThose killed or wounded
- morbidityDisease occurrence rate
hospitalization · crisis · emergency · panic · fear · devastation · collapse · orphans · frontline · recovery
COVID-19
WHO-named 2019 coronavirus
- H1N1Influenza A subtype
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- historicalOf documented times
- comparative historycolonialism, imperialism, revolutions, modernization, industrialization
- colonial medicinebloodletting, leeches, colonial medicine, cupping, apothecary
- medical historyHippocrates, germ theory, bloodletting, Galen, four humors
- US Medical Historypolio vaccine, Jonas Salk, Salk vaccine, Clara Barton, Walter Reed
- medicinedoctor, doctors, hospital, medicine, surgery
- disastersdisaster, earthquake, earthquakes, catastrophe, floods
epidemicscontainment
Preventing hostile expansion
remission · herd immunity · disease eradication · health · wellness
- cholera epidemicOutbreak of severe diarrheal disease
- opioid epidemicMass addiction to painkillers
- flu epidemicWidespread viral respiratory illness
- AIDS epidemicMass spread of immunodeficiency
- obesity epidemicPopulation-wide excess body mass
- HIV epidemicMass spread of immunodeficiency virus