Unlike any other disease we heard before, this pandemic is probably the only one that has affected our daily lives. Most of them, we hear on the news, then fade after a few weeks or so.
Most people don’t believe the news because what they say is exceptional. But this is different, you feel it and hits you hard knowing that it could infect you, your friends or any family member.
Since COVID-19 is a big deal, it might be worth knowing the most commonly used vocabulary words related to it while you’re staying at home in isolation. Enjoy!
COVID-19 is an abbreviation of Corona Virus Disease which started as an outbreak in the province of Wuhan, China last December of 2019.
Novel Coronavirus or SARS-Cov-2 is the virus causing the disease.
*COVID-19 is the disease and Novel Corona/SARS-Cov-2 is the virus.
zoonotic – a disease that can be spread from animals to humans.
Example: Rabies (โรคพิษสุนัขบ้า) can be transferred if an infected dog bit humans. Rabies is a zoonotic virus.
intracellular (ในเซลล์) – located within a cell.
Example: Viral diseases are hard to treat because they are intracellular.
patient zero (ผู้ติดเชื้อรายแรก) – the person identified as the first carrier of the disease.
Example: They cannot identify COVID-19’s patient zero.
symptoms (อาการ) – signs that you are sick of something.
Example: A runny nose is a symptom of a cold.
asymptomatic (ไร้อาการโรค) – If the virus entered your body but you’re not sick and not showing any symptoms, you are asymptomatic.
Example: Don’t visit your elderly relatives this week because you might be asymptomatic (not sick but a carrier of the virus).
infect (ทำให้ติดเชื้อ) – spread the disease to another individual.
Example: The taxi driver lied to the dentist and did not inform that he was infected by people at the boxing stadium.
outbreak (การระบาด) – an abrupt start of something that is unwanted or bad. It can pertain to a disease or war.
Example: The epicenter of COVID-19 is the province of Wuhan.
epidemic (ที่ระบาด) – is a disease that spreads rapidly among people in a community at a certain time.
Example: The COVID-19 vaccine was developed after the epidemic faded.
pandemic (ซึ่งระบาดไปทั่ว) – an illness that is widespread in a country or the rest of the world.
Example: The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
One of the biggest pandemics in history is the Black Death.
*A disease becomes an epidemic first before it is declared as a pandemic.
quarantine (กักตัว)
lockdown (ล็อคดาวน์ | ปิดเมือง ) – the act of confining people as a security measure. A situation where people cannot leave a certain area due to grave risk.
Example: Please isolate yourself to avoid further spread of the virus. We will initiate a community lockdown.
social distancing (การแยกตัวออกห่างจากสังคม) – staying more than 3 feet or 1 meter away from another person.
Example: Some people prefer the term physical distancing over social distancing.
panic (ความตื่นตกใจ) – to be afraid, filled with fear and anxiety.
Example: Most people panic when there is a pandemic.
cabin fever (สภาพกดดันทางจิตใจที่เกิดจากการอยู่โดดเดี่ยว) – irritability or having a bad mood due to long confinement.
Example: The teenagers in our neighborhood said they’re starting to have cabin fever.
essential (จำเป็น) and nonessential (ไม่จำเป็น) – refers to businesses during COVID-19 outbreak.
Example: Grocery stores, schools, and banks are essential businesses while moviehouses, malls, and museums are considered nonessential.
flatten the curve – to lessen the impact.
Example: We can help the world flatten the Coronavirus curve by staying at home.
Don’t forget to wash your hands!