Word parts
What it means
A pandemic is an epidemicep-ih-DEM-ikA rise in cases of a disease in a community or region well above what is normally expected.epi- upondem/o people-ic relating toFull entry that has spread around the world, as with COVID-19 and the 1918 influenza. New germs that people have no immunity to are the usual cause.
Remember it
Endemic is always here; an epidemic is a spike here; a pandemic is everywhere.
At a glance
| Spanish | pandemia |
|---|---|
| Also written | pandemics |
Easy to confuse with
Related terms
infectious disease
An illness caused by a germ such as a bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite.
public health
The work of protecting and improving the health of whole communities and populations.
epidemic
A rise in cases of a disease in a community or region well above what is normally expected.
endemic
Describing a disease that is always present at a steady, expected level in a certain area or group.