EnglishClubLearn EnglishVocabularyTopic: Coronavirus COVID-19 Vocabulary
We will meet again(HM Queen Elizabeth II)
Science of Hand Washing – audio lesson
This glossary of terms related tocoronavirusesandCOVID-19in particular is intended for learners of English though it may be of interest to a wider audience. In times of crisis, knowing and understanding the terminology involved may help alleviate some of the fears and even panic that such times breed.
COVID-19 (alternative pronunciation)
coronavirus: /kəˈrəʊ.nəˌvaɪə.rəs/ [coROnaVIrus]
COVID-19: /ˈkəʊ.vɪdˌnaɪnˈtiːn/[COvid-nineTEEN]
coronavirus: /kəˈroʊ.nəˌvaɪ.rəs/ [coROnaVIrus]
COVID-19: /ˈkoʊ.vɪdˌnaɪnˈtiːn/[COvid-nineTEEN]
[Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)]
A virus is a micro-organism, too small to be seen without a microscope, that causes infectious disease in animals and humans.
In December 2019 a newdiseasewas identified in China. On investigation, the disease was caused by a newvirusof thecoronavirusfamily, and has since been officially namedCOVID-19.
It is believed (subject to further investigation) that COVID-19 originated in a meat and live-animal market in the city of Wuhan in the province of Hubei in the country of China. It subsequently spread to other countries and wasofficially pronouncedpandemicby the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.
Each of the following terms, listed in alphabetical order, has 1) a basic definition and 2) an example sentence showing how the term may be used in context.
animal-human interface(noun): any point where animals (domestic and wild) and humans meet -Animal diseases can potentially pass to humans at anyanimal-human interfacesuch as a zoo, farm or animal market.
asymptomatic(adjective): showing nosymptomsof a particular disease -She had no idea her husband had coronavirus because he was asymptomatic.
carrier(noun): a person or animal thattransmitsa disease to others, whether suffering from it themselves or not -People who are asymptomatic can still be carriers.
carry(verb): be infected with a disease and able to transmit it to others, whethersymptomaticorasymptomatic-Some people may carry coronavirus without knowing it.
community spread(noun):transmissionof a disease directly within a community and not by importation from a foreign source -With this many new positive cases, the evidence suggests that we now have community spread right here in our county.
contact tracing(noun): identification and monitoring of people who may have had contact with aninfectiousperson -By insisting on strict contact tracing as soon as someone was potentially infected, they managed to control the spread of the disease.
contagious(adjective): describing a disease that can pass from person to person, usually by direct contact; describing a person with such a disease.Seeinfectious-Patients who are stillcontagiousare kept in isolation.
coronavirus(noun): any one of a large family ofvirusesthat can causediseasein the breathing and eating systems of humans and animals (respiratory and digestive systems). Coronavirus diseases can range from the relatively harmless common cold to more severe and potentially fatal diseases such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Seen through a microscope, coronaviruses appear circular with spikes, like crowns 👑, and are named from the Latin for crown, which iscorona. Coronaviruses normally originate in animals and usually cannot be passed to humans. But very occasionally a coronavirus mutates and can then betransmittedfrom animal to human, and then from human to human. This is how the SARS epidemic started in the early 2000s, for example -Did you know that flu is acoronavirusdisease?
COVID-19(noun): official name for thenovel coronavirusdisease that emerged in China in 2019.COVID-19=COronaVIrusDisease-2019-All countries are requested to report any new confirmed case ofCOVID-19within 48 hours.
diagnose(verb): identify an illness by examining thesymptoms-Only a medical professional can properlydiagnosethe cause of your problem.
diagnosis(noun): identification of an illness by examination of thesymptoms-If youre not happy with the doctorsdiagnosisyou could always get a second opinion.
disease(noun): illness; sickness; a disorder of the body -Polio is one of several seriousdiseasesthat have been nearly eradicated.
droplets(noun): the spray produced when people cough or sneeze, and which can spread diseases likeCOVID-19-Health care personnel wear protective clothing to guard against the disease carried indropletswhen infected people sneeze or cough.
epidemic(noun): occurrence of a particular disease in a large number of people in a particular area.Seeoutbreakpandemic-The city was devastated by anepidemicof cholera in the 19th century.
flatten the curve(verb – figurative): change the steep upward curve on a graph of new disease cases to a flatter, shallower upward curve over a longer time period through measures such associal distancing-Authorities hope that by introducing social distancing they will be able toflatten the curveand avoid hospitals being rapidly overwhelmed with new cases.
herd immunity(noun): an indirect protection from a disease resulting from a large percentage of the population gaining immunity (either through vaccination or through recovering from the disease) -This virus is unlike the seasonal flu because there is currently no vaccine or herd immunity, he said.
incubation period(noun): the time from a persons first exposure to adiseaseto the time whensymptomsdevelop -When they know theincubation periodthey will know how long to keep people in quarantine.
infect(verb): affect a human or animal with adisease-causing organism -But can itinfecthuman beings?
infected(adjective/past participle): affected with adisease-causing organism -They were able to cure theinfectedleft lung before the infection could spead to the right lung.
infection(noun): process of infecting; state of being infected; infectious disease -Breast milk can help protect babies against variousinfections.
infectious(adjective): describing adiseasethat can betransmittedthrough the environment; describing a human or animal capable of spreading aninfection.Seecontagious-Avoid the dogs as they may still beinfectious.
Strictly speaking, acontagiousdisease is transmitted by physical contact, and aninfectiousdisease is transmitted via micro-organisms in the air or water. But in practice there is little or no difference in meaning between
isolate(verb): keep aninfectedperson away from healthy people -They willisolateanyone suspected of having the disease.
isolation(noun): separation ofinfectedpeople from healthy people for seriouslike COVID-19 -Travellers arriving from the infected area were immediately put inisolation.
lockdown(noun): official restriction of movement within or access to an area in the interests of public health -Sweden was one of the few countries that did not impose blanketlockdowns.
mask(noun): a piece of fibre or cloth that fits over the nose and mouth to protect other people from the wearers germs and/or the wearer from germs in the air -The World Health Organization recommendthat people should not wear masks unless they may be carrying COVID-19 (to protect other people) or are caring for anyone suffering from COVID-19 (to protect themselves).
novel coronavirus(noun): the wordnovelmeans new, and a newly identifiedcoronavirusstrain is often called a novel coronavirus -Until they gave it a name, they mostly referred to COVID-19 asnovel coronavirus(disease).
outbreak(noun): a sudden occurrence of adisease(or other unpleasant thing).Seeepidemicpandemic-There was anotheroutbreakof the disease in 1993 but the cause was uncertain.
pandemic(noun): occurrence of a particulardiseasethroughout a whole country or the world.Seeepidemicoutbreak-Just after the First World War there was apandemicof flu which killed up to 40 million people worldwide.
pathogen(noun): a micro-organism or germ such as a bacterium orvirusthat can causedisease-Fortunately, mostpathogensare dealt with by the bodys immune system.
patient zero(noun): the person identified as the first to become infected with a disease in an outbreak -Authoritites usually try to determine who patient zero was in any given outbreak as can help answer important questions about how, when and why it started.
PCR test(noun): test that detectsviralparticles in blood or other body fluids. (PCR = polymerase chain reaction) -ThePCR testis one of the tools that doctors use to diagnose certain coronavirus diseases.
personal protective equipment (PPE)(noun): special clothing, headgear, goggles, masks and other garments that shield people from injury orinfection. -Much of thePPEworn by doctors and nurses has to be worn once only and destroyed after use.
person-to-person(adjective): describing the spread of adiseasefrom one person to another, typically through touch including shaking hands, kissing, sexual intercourse etc. -In January an infected American woman returning home from China transmitted the virus to her husband, marking the first known example ofperson-to-personspread of the virus in the USA.
quarantine(noun):isolationand monitoring of people who seem healthy but may have been exposed to anto see if they developsymptoms-For centuries its been common for ships arriving from infected areas to be kept inquarantineat the docks, originally for 40 days which is where the term comes from.
SARS-CoV-2(noun): Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2; final official name for the coronavirus that causesCOVID-19. (This virus was previously known as 2019-nCoV.) -SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the virus and COVID-19 is the name of the disease.
screening(noun): testing of people for the presence of adisease. ForCOVID-19the first step in screening is usually taking a persons temperature -They now conductscreeningfor all incoming passengers.
self-isolate(verb):isolateoneself; put oneself inquarantine, away from other people -The prime ministers wife has tested positive for COVID-19 and the couple are now self-isolating and working by phone and Skype.
social distancing(noun): practice of encouraging people to minimize contact and closeness, whether by banning large or even small groups/meetings (football matches, nightclubs), or by maintaining a minimum distance between people (for example one metre or two metres) -The government has instructed schools to take social distancing measures to slow the spread of the virus.
superspreader(noun): personinfectedwith avirusetc whotransmitsor spreads it to an unusually large number of people -One so-called superspreader in South Korea infected at least 37 people at her church with the virus.
symptomatic(adjective): showingsymptomsof a particular disease -Anyone who issymptomaticis advised to phone a doctor and get tested.
symptoms(noun): a physical or mental feature that indicates illness/disease-Typicalsymptomsof COVID-19 are fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.
test negative test positive(verb): if you take atestfor aninfectionand you test negative, that means you do not have the infection. If you test positive, that means you have the infection. -The President is pleased to announce that he hastested negativefor the virus.
transmission(noun): transfer of adiseasefrom animal to human or from human to human -Transmissionof many diseases can be direct or indirect.
transmit(verb) – often passive: cause adiseaseto pass from animal to human or from human to human -Many diseases aretransmittedthrough physical contact.
treat(verb): attempt to cure or alleviate an illness or injury through medical care -Doctors cannot currentlytreatCOVID-19 directly and instead concentrate on relieving symptoms.
treatment(noun): medical care given to a patient for an illness or injury -There is currently no specific antiviraltreatmentfor COVID-19, and infected patients receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms.
vaccine(noun): a substance used to protect humans and animals from adisease-Avaccinefor cholera was invented in 1879.
vax(noun, informal): vaccine, vaccination -Have you had your fluvaxthis year?anti-vaxer, anti-vaxxer(noun): a person opposed to vaccines and vaccination on principle -Someanti-vaxxersare against vaccines on religious grounds and others just believe vaccines are dangerous to health.
viral(adjective): describing something like, caused by, or relating to avirusor viruses -Antibiotics cannot be used to treatviralinfections because they dont kill viruses, only bacteria.
virus(noun): a living thing, too small to be seen without a microscope, that causesinfectiousdisease in animals and humans -Like all diseases caused byviruses, the common cold cannot be cured with antibiotics.
zoonotic(adjective): describing adiseasethat can betransmittedfrom animals to humans -To protect yourself fromzoonoticdiseases its best to avoid bites and scratches from animals.
Coronavirus COVID-19 Vocabulary Quiz
Recommended Coronavirus/COVID-19 Links
WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic(World Health Organization)
Coronavirus disease 2019(Wikipedia)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(Wikipedia)
COVID-19 Mortality Analyses(Johns Hopkins University)
How the coronavirus is changing the way we talk(LA Times)
Science of Hand Washing – audio lesson
We will meet again(HM Queen Elizabeth II)
Great Barrington Declaration- recommending Focused Protection
Letter to the FBI – Request for expedited federal investigation into scientific fraud in COVID‑19 public health policies
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandoras box at Wuhan?- Nicholas Wade,
(5 May 2021 – 100 seconds to midnight)
How Facebook censored the lab leak theory – UnHerd
Why I spoke out against lockdowns – spiked
The Coronavirus: A Crash Course by Taiwan Vice President Chen Chien-Jen
EnglishClubLearn EnglishVocabularyTopic: Coronavirus COVID-19 Vocabulary
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