The Topic is about Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19)
By Reny Sulistyowati
Coronavirus COVID-19 Vocabulary
This glossary of terms related to coronaviruses and COVID-19 in 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.
coronavirus
COVID-19
COVID-19 (alternative pronunciation)
Pronunciation UK:
coronavirus: /kəˈrəʊ.nəˌvaɪə.rəs/ [coROnaVIrus]
COVID-19: /ˈkəʊ.vɪdˌnaɪnˈtiːn/ [COvid-nineTEEN]
Pronunciation US:
coronavirus: /kəˈroʊ.nəˌvaɪ.rəs/ [coROnaVIrus]
COVID-19: /ˈkoʊ.vɪdˌnaɪnˈtiːn/ [COvid-nineTEEN]
Real-time Map of COVID-19 Worldwide
[Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at John 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.
Background
In December 2019 a new disease was identified in China. On investigation, the
disease was caused by a new virus of the coronavirus family, and has since
been officially named COVID-19.
It is believed 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 was officially pronounced a pandemic by the
World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.
Glossary
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.
While for simplicity we sometimes refer below to “humans and animals” or
"animals and humans", we do of course recognize that humans are in fact
animals.
animal-human interface (noun): any point where animals (domestic and wild)
and humans meet - Animal diseases can potentially pass to humans at
any animal-human interface such as a zoo, farm or animal market.
asymptomatic (adjective): showing no symptoms of a particular disease - She
had no idea her husband had coronavirus because he was asymptomatic.
carrier (noun): a person or animal that transmits a 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,
whether symptomatic or asymptomatic - Some people may carry coronavirus
without knowing it.
community spread (noun): transmission of 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 an infectious person - 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. See infectious - Patients who are still contagious are kept in
isolation.
coronavirus (noun): any one of a large family of viruses that can
cause disease in 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 is corona. Coronaviruses normally
originate in animals and usually cannot be passed to humans. But very
occasionally a coronavirus mutates and can then be transmitted from 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
a coronavirus disease?
COVID-19 (noun): official name for the novel coronavirus disease that emerged
in China in 2019. COVID-19 = COronaVIrus Disease-2019 - All countries are
requested to report any new confirmed case of COVID-19 within 48 hours.
diagnose (verb): identify an illness by examining the symptoms - Only a
medical professional can properly diagnose the cause of your problem.
diagnosis (noun): identification of an illness by examination of
the symptoms - If you're not happy with the doctor's diagnosis you could
always get a second opinion.
disease (noun): illness; sickness; a disorder of the body - Polio is one of several
serious diseases that have been nearly eradicated.
droplets (noun): the spray produced when people cough or sneeze, and which
can spread diseases like COVID-19 - Health care personnel wear protective
clothing to guard against the disease carried in droplets when infected people
sneeze or cough.
epidemic (noun): occurrence of a particular disease in a large number of
people in a particular area. See outbreak, pandemic - The city was devastated
by an epidemic of 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 as social distancing - Authorities hope that by
introducing social distancing they will be able to flatten the curve and 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 person’s first exposure to
a disease to the time when symptoms develop - When they know
the incubation period they will know how long to keep people in quarantine.
infect (verb): affect a human or animal with a disease-causing organism - But
can it infect human beings?
infected (adjective/past participle): affected with a disease-causing organism
- They were able to cure the infected left 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 various infections.
infectious (adjective): describing a disease that can be transmitted through
the environment; describing a human or animal capable of spreading
an infection. See contagious - Avoid the dogs as they may still be infectious.
Strictly speaking, a contagious disease is transmitted by physical contact, and
an infectious disease is transmitted via micro-organisms in the air or water. But
in practice there is little or no difference in meaning
between contagious and infectious when related to disease.
isolate (verb): keep an infected person away from healthy people - They
will isolate anyone suspected of having the disease.
isolation (noun): separation of infected people from healthy people for
serious contagious diseases like COVID-19 - Travellers arriving from the
infected area were immediately put in isolation.
mask (noun): a piece of fibre or cloth that fits over the nose and mouth to protect
other people from the wearer's germs and/or the wearer from germs in the air
- The World Health Organization recommend that 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 word novel means “new”, and a newly
identified coronavirus strain is often called a novel coronavirus - Until they gave
it a name, they mostly referred to COVID-19 as novel coronavirus (disease).
outbreak (noun): a sudden occurrence of a disease (or other unpleasant
thing). See epidemic, pandemic - There was another outbreak of the disease
in 1993 but the cause was uncertain.
pandemic (noun): occurrence of a particular disease throughout a whole
country or the world. See epidemic, outbreak - Just after the First World War
there was a pandemic of flu which killed up to 40 million people worldwide.
pathogen (noun): a micro-organism or germ such as a bacterium or virus that
can cause disease - Fortunately, most pathogens are dealt with by the body's
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 detects viral particles in blood or other body fluids.
(PCR = polymerase chain reaction) - The PCR test is 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 or infection.
- Much of the PPE worn by doctors and nurses has to be worn once only and
destroyed after use.
person-to-person (adjective): describing the spread of a disease from 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 of person-to-person spread of the virus in the USA.
quarantine (noun): isolation and monitoring of people who seem healthy but
may have been exposed to an infectious disease to see if they
develop symptoms - For centuries it's been common for ships arriving from
infected areas to be kept in quarantine at 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 causes COVID-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 a disease. For COVID-
19 the first step in screening is usually taking a person’s temperature - They
now conduct screening for all incoming passengers.
self-isolate (verb): isolate oneself; put oneself in quarantine, away from other
people - The prime minister's 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): person infected with a virus etc who transmits or
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): showing symptoms of a particular disease - Anyone
who is symptomatic is advised to phone a doctor and get tested.
symptoms (noun): a physical or mental feature that indicates
illness/disease - Typical symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, coughing, and
shortness of breath.
test negative | test positive (verb): if you take a test for an infection and 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
has tested negative for the virus.
transmission (noun): transfer of a disease from animal to human or from
human to human - Transmission of many diseases can be direct or indirect.
transmit (verb) - often passive: cause a disease to pass from animal to human
or from human to human - Many diseases are transmitted through physical
contact.
treat (verb): attempt to cure or alleviate an illness or injury through medical care
- Doctors cannot currently treat COVID-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 antiviral treatment for COVID-19, and infected patients
receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms.
vaccine (noun): a substance used to protect humans and animals from
a disease - A vaccine for cholera was invented in 1879.
viral (adjective): describing something like, caused by, or relating to a virus or
viruses - Antibiotics cannot be used to treat viral infections because they don't
kill viruses, only bacteria.
virus (noun): a living thing, too small to be seen without a microscope, that
causes infectious disease in animals and humans - Like all diseases caused
by viruses, the common cold cannot be cured with antibiotics.
zoonotic (adjective): describing a disease that can be transmitted from
animals to humans - To protect yourself from zoonotic diseases it's best to
avoid bites and scratches from animals.
What are coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses were discovered in the 1960s. They are a group of viruses that
cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, coronaviruses cause respiratory
tract infections that are typically mild, such as the common cold.
The name "coronavirus" is derived from the Latin corona, meaning crown or halo.
The name refers to the characteristic appearance of the infective form of the virus,
which is reminiscent of a crown or a solar corona.
The new coronavirus
At the end of 2019, a new type of coronavirus started spreading in China. This type
of coronavirus is often called 2019-nCoV, novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. It is
believed that the virus was transmitted from animals to humans. Some of the first
cases were diagnosed in people who had visited a market selling live seafood and
animals. Unfortunately, when viruses are transmitted from animals to people, it can
take scientists a lot of time before they can develop a vaccine or medicines to cure
it.
The symptoms of the new coronavirus
Some of the symptoms of the coronavirus are fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat,
headache, and trouble breathing. These symptoms are very much like those people
have with a cold or the flu. The virus can be more serious in some people, especially
if they are sick or have health problems.
While it is early to have a definite picture of the disease because scientists are still
collecting the data, some patterns have already emerged. Some early reports reveal
that children seem to be getting coronavirus at much lower rates than adults. Even
if they get infected, the symptoms are milder. However, most people who get
severely infected are those with a weak immune system, like the elderly.
Coronavirus may be life-threatening for these people. They may develop more
serious respiratory tract illnesses that may be fatal.
How does the virus spread?
The virus appears to spread mainly from person to person. The transmission occurs
when someone comes into contact with an infected person. For example, a cough,
sneeze or handshake could cause transmission. The spread may also be caused by
coming into contact with something an infected person has touched and then
touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
Treatment
There is no specific vaccine or medication to cure the disease, but generally,
symptoms will go away on their own. However, experts recommend seeking
medical care early if symptoms feel worse than a standard cold. Doctors can relieve
symptoms by prescribing pain or fever medication. As far as antibiotics are
concerned, they are useless to treat coronavirus.
People who think they may have been exposed to the virus should contact their
healthcare provider immediately. A set of preventive measures are usually followed
in case someone gets infected. This includes keeping infected people in quarantine
for a certain period, generally fourteen days.
How to protect yourself from coronavirus?
To protect yourself from the virus, here are six recommendations to follow:
Avoid contact with people who are already infected.
Wash your hands well and regularly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use hand
sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth if you haven't washed your hands.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that people touch a lot.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Questions A:
1. Coronaviruses were discovered in 2019.
a. True
b. False
2. The source of the coronavirus probably comes from animals.
a. True
b. False
3. Children get infected more than adults
a. True
b. False
4. Doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat the coronavirus.
a. True
b. False
5. Coronaviruses were discovered in 2019.
a. True
b. False
Questions B
1. People who show no signs of a given disease are ....
a. Asymptomatic
b. Unsymptomatic
c. Unsympathetic
2. Which is a virus?
a. COVID-19
b. Influenza
c. Coronavirus
3. Which is a disease?
a. COVID-19
b. SARS-CoV-2
c. Coronavirus
4. SARS-CoV-2 can ....... humans
a. Defect
b. Effect
c. Infect
5. Which is most widespread?
a. An outbreak
b. An epidemic
c. A pandemic
6. The word quarantine comes from:
a. The number 40
b. The term guarantee
c. The fraction quarter
7. After showing symptoms he was told to .... for 14 days
a. Quarantine
b. Self-isolate
c. Stay in home
8. A person with symptoms of a disease ... that disease
a. Has
b. May have
c. Cannot have
9. A disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals is ...
a. Hypnotic
b. Stenotic
c. Zoonotic
10. He was happy to learn that his mother tested ..... for this coronavirus
a. Negative
b. Positive
c. succesfully
