global pandemic
Disease spanning continents
A global pandemic is a disease outbreak that spreads across multiple countries or continents, affecting large numbers of people worldwide.
The phrase is technically redundant—pandemic already implies widespread geographic reach—but has become common in public health discourse and media coverage: The global pandemic disrupted supply chains everywhere.
Often used to distinguish truly worldwide events from regional epidemics.
- superspreaderUnusually contagious infected person
- patient zeroFirst documented infection
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
virus · transmission · WHO · vaccine · economic recession · new normal · Black Death · zoonosis · lockdown · international treaties · travel restrictions · cholera outbreaks · quarantine · public health education · handwashing · social distancing · stay home · mutation
global pandemicregional outbreak
Concentrated disease emergence
cluster · hotspot · endemic disease · endemic · community spread
global pandemicdisease eradication
Permanent global elimination of pathogens
eradication · clean bill of health · global health · herd immunity