HealthLinks Upstate July/August 2020

28 | www.UpstatePhysiciansSC.com | www.HealthLinksUpstate.com COMMUNITY SPREAD Community spread of the corona- virus refers to people living within a specific area who have become infected, including those who aren’t certain how or where they became infected. CORONAVIRUSES Coronaviruses are a group of virus- es that cause a variety of diseases in humans and animals. COVID-19 This stands for the coronavirus disease of 2019. Originally called the 2019 novel coronavirus, this refers to the highly contagious disease spreading across the globe through respiratory droplets from infected individuals. EPIDEMIC An epidemic is a significant, often sudden increase in the number of cases of an infectious disease that ris- es above what is usually expected for a population in a certain geographic area. FLATTEN THE CURVE This refers to a graph where the curve reflects a surge in cases that can overwhelm the health care sys- tem in a country, leading to shortages in intensive care beds and lifesaving equipment. N95 A respiratory protective device de- signed to achieve a close facial fit and efficient filtration of airborne parti - cles. The N95 designation means that when subjected to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 95% of very small particles. NOVEL CORONAVIRUS Scientists use the word “novel” to distinguish the new form of corona- virus (SARS-CoV-2) currently making people sick from previous types of coronaviruses (such as SARS and MERS). PANDEMIC When a disease has rapidly spread across many nations, the World Health Organization makes the de- termination whether it has risen from epidemic to the level of a pandemic. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) Personal protective equipment is specialized clothing or gear used to prevent contact with infectious or hazardous materials. QUARANTINE People who have been exposed to a communicable disease, who them- selves are not yet sick, are sometimes placed under quarantine to separate them from the general public until it’s clear they won’t spread the infection. SARS-COV-2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2, is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. SHELTER IN PLACE Literally, it means stay wherever you are, such as your workplace, a shop or at home, until the threat is gone. Now, the term has morphed to also mean stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. SOCIAL DISTANCING This encompasses a range of public health measures to put space between people and limit the spread of a contagious disease. Canceling events such as festivals and con- ferences, limiting the number of people in gatherings, shifting office employees to telecommuting, closing schools and nonessential businesses, confining restaurant meals to take-out only and restricting nursing home visi- tors are examples of social distancing. It is also used to warn people to stay 6 feet apart from each other. SUPERSPREADER A superspreader is an individual who transmits an infectious disease to multiple other people. Sources U.S. News & World Report and the Food and Drug Administration. VIRUS TERMS WE HOPE WE NEVER HAVE TO USE AGAIN