superspreading
One infects many
Superspreading refers to disease transmission in which a single infected person infects far more people than typical—often dozens at once.
Most contagious people infect only a few others, but superspreaders, through some combination of biology, behavior, and circumstance, drive outbreaks disproportionately: One superspreading event at the choir practice infected fifty-two people.
The term gained wide use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sending of information
- clusterGathered group nearby
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- contact-tracingIdentifying disease transmission paths
- sheddingLosing outer covering
asymptomatic · hotspot · amplification · dispersion · seeding · spillover
WHO-named 2019 coronavirus
- SARSViral pneumonia syndrome
- MERSMiddle Eastern respiratory virus
- tuberculosisMycobacterial lung disease
- measlesContagious viral rash illness
Ebola · influenza · norovirus · typhoid · HIV · pandemic · epidemic · pathogen
Increasing by constant ratio
- cascadeSuccessive downward flow
- amplificationIncrease in intensity
- proliferationRapid increase in quantity
- escalationProgressive increase in intensity
dispersion · propagation · multiplication · snowball · surge · wave · spike · acceleration
One that transports
- emitterThing that gives off
- hostOne receiving guests
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
Collection of people meeting
- indoorWithin a building
- ventilationCirculation of fresh air
- crowdingExcessive gathering in limited space
- weddingMarriage rite and feast
funeral · nightclub · conference · bar · restaurant · dormitory · prison · party
transmission
Sending of information
- clusterGathered group nearby
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- contact-tracingIdentifying disease transmission paths
shedding · asymptomatic · hotspot · amplification · dispersion · seeding · spillover
COVID-19
WHO-named 2019 coronavirus
- SARSViral pneumonia syndrome
- MERSMiddle Eastern respiratory virus
- tuberculosisMycobacterial lung disease
measles · Ebola · influenza · norovirus · typhoid · HIV · pandemic · epidemic · pathogen · coronavirus
exponential
Increasing by constant ratio
- cascadeSuccessive downward flow
- amplificationIncrease in intensity
- proliferationRapid increase in quantity
escalation · dispersion · propagation · multiplication · snowball · surge · wave · spike · acceleration
carrier
One that transports
- emitterThing that gives off
- hostOne receiving guests
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
gathering
Collection of people meeting
- indoorWithin a building
- ventilationCirculation of fresh air
- crowdingExcessive gathering in limited space
wedding · funeral · nightclub · conference · bar · restaurant · dormitory · prison · party · aerosol
- contagioncontagion, outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, transmission
- epidemiologyepidemic, epidemiology, pandemic, outbreak, endemic
super, spread, spreading, spreads, spreader, spreaders, widespread, outspread, overspread