What Does Endemic, Pandemic, And Epidemic Mean?

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been spreading drastically from one country to another since December 2019. It has become one of the most rapidly spreading viruses in the world. The most uttered word nowadays is Endemic, Pandemic and Epidemic. All three terms are epidemiological terms which are commonly used the study of disease upon human beings. 

Endemic 

The term endemic comes from the Greek word ‘Endemos’ where En means ‘in or within’ and demos means ‘people’. Therefore endemic means ‘in or within’ the people. So the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area is called Endemic. The geographical area must small and the disease must be happening in a time frame. COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan city of China which was then called endemic disease. 

Pandemic

The term pandemic comes from a Greek word Pandemos where ‘pan’ means ‘all’ and ‘demos’ means ‘in people’. Pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people. Presently the coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading all over the world that’s why the World Health Organization (WHO) announces it as pandemic disease. Because this disease happening all around the world in a short period. 

Epidemic

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), epidemic refers to an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area. As the COVID-19 cases increase rapidly so it can be said that it is an epidemic disease. 

*The writer is a student at the Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic University, Bangladesh.