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The Basics: People, Places, and Institutions
- Deborah Birx- b. 1956. Physician; coronavirus response coordinator for Donald Trump's administration
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)- U.S. agency that works to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same
- Anthony S. Fauci- physician and immunologist. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 1984- . He has advised 7 presidents on national and global health issues.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)- U.S. agency that helps people and communities before, during and after disasters by coordinating within the federal government to make sure America is equipped to prepare for and respond to disasters
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)- U.S. agency that conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases, leading to new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies. See Anthony Fauci.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)- U.S. Agency that conducts and supports research intended to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability
- Li Wenliang- d. 2020. Chinese ophthalmologist (eye doctor) who first raised the alarm about the appearance of a new coronavirus (COVID-19), only to be investigated by Chinese police for "spreading rumors." He died of COVID on 7 February 2020.
- World Health Organization (WHO)- a United Nations (UN) agency whose goal is to connect nations, partners, and people to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable, so that everyone can reach the highest level of health. As part of this goal, WHO directs and coordinates the world’s response to health emergencies.
- Wuhan, China- city in central China, capital city of the Hubei Province; a major industrial, commercial, and transportation center and inland port; the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in December 2019.
The Basics: Terms
- Anti-viral- class of drugs used to treat viral infections, such as Tamiflu for the flu. Antibiotics are a different class of drugs and are effective only on bacterial infections.
- Asymptomatic- describes a person who is a carrier of a disease but does not have any signs or symptoms
- Cluster- group of cases found in the same place at the same time, such as the early clusters of COVID-19 cases in California and New York City.
- Community spread- circulation of a disease among people in an area with no explanation of how they were affected, such as no known contact with a confirmed case
- Contact tracing- process of identifying, assessing, and managing people who have been exposed to someone who has been infected with a contagious disease. Contact tracing is essential to control a contagion. Its goals are to interrupt transmission between people and notify those at high risk about their exposure so they can get medical treatment sooner.
- Coronavirus- a family of viruses, 7 of which are known to infect humans. The name comes from the coronas, or crown-like spikes, that can be seen when the virus is under a microscope. Coronaviruses can cause anything from the common cold to more serious illnesses such as SARS or MERS.
- COVID-19- a specific coronavirus that was first discovered in December 2019, believed to have started in animals and then spread to humans. Symptoms include a dry cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, diarrhea, loss of smell or taste, and more. The name comes from the first letters of the disease: COrona VIrus Disease 2019.
- Droplet transmission- form of transmission in which a disease is spready by droplets produced by talking, coughing, sneezing, or even breathing. Droplet transmission requires close contact with a person who has the disease in their system, even if they have no symptoms.
- Endemic- expected baseline or level of a disease in a community, at a predictable rate. Influenza and the common cold are endemic because they always exist.
- Epidemic- sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease, higher than what is normally expected in a particular area.
- Epidemiology- the study of how often diseases occur in different groups of people and why; finds causes of diseases in populations. Epidemiology uses data to determine the best way to control a health problem such as a disease. A person who studies epidemiology is an epidemiologist.
- Incubation period- time between a person being exposed to a virus and exhibiting symptoms, for COVID-19 believed to be between 2 and 14 days. Note: some people will become infected and not develop any signs or symptoms.
- Isolation- when a person with a confirmed case of a contagious disease keeps themselves entirely separate from those who are not ill
- Long hauler- COVID-19 patient who experiences lingering health problems after recovering from the initial phase of the disease
- MERS- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a coronavirus
- N95 respirator- also called an N95 mask, these filter up to 95% of particulates from the air. N95s form a tight seal to the face, and must be fit-tested to ensure adequate protection; they are not effective on users with facial hair.
- Outbreak- similar to an epidemic, but limited in geographic scope. When COVID-10 started in Wuhan, it was an outbreak.
- Pandemic- epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, affecting many people. Pandemics usually happen when a new virus is spread, because less research has been done on that virus and there is no pre-existing immunity. COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)- “Specialized clothing or equipment, worn by an employee for protection against infectious materials" (OSHA). In different situations, PPE may include gloves, gown, goggles, masks, face shields, and/or respirators. The CDC is responsible for recommending what PPE should be used to prevent disease transmission.
- Quarantine- a person who is thought to have been exposed to a contagious disease is kept separate from others until it is determined whether or not they have the disease. In the case of COVID-19, the quarantine period was first set at 14 days. Not the same as isolation.
- SARS- severe acute respiratory syndrome, first discovered in 2002; no outbreaks of SARS have been reported since 2003. Symptoms include headache, fever, body aches, a dry cough, hypoxia, and pneumonia.
- SARS-CoV-2- the virus that causes COVID-19. While no one is certain how COVID-19 began, one theory is that it came from a live animal market in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 is a betacoronavirus, which means that it originated in bats. See COVID-19.
- Shelter in place- official declaration, usually from a government person or agency, to stay at home or "in place" except for essential needs such as groceries or medication. Essential workers, in this case ranging from grocery store workers to healthcare professionals, law enforcement, and first responders, are typically exempt from such orders.
- Social distancing- providing for adequate distance between persons to prevent the spread of a disease, generally touted to be 6 feet for much of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a sufficient distance depends on multiple factors, including the effective use of PPE.
- Super spreader- a person who infects an unusually large number of people, whether or not that person is symptomatic. Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary, was an asymptomatic super-spreader.
- Transmission- vector by which a disease is spread, such as bloodborne or droplet; see droplet transmission
- Vaccine- substance that triggers the immune system to build resistance to a disease by producing antibodies, without needing to contract the disease itself. Vaccination was first practiced in 17th century China.
- Variant- viruses constantly mutate or change; those mutations are called variants
- Ventilator- machine that takes over the work of breathing for a person who cannot breath on their own or whose lungs are too damaged to function on their own
- Virus- a disease or illness caused by a virus; also, a non-living microscopic infectious agent that grows and multiples only in living cells. Viruses affect plants, animals, and humans.
- Wet market- open air market that sells fresh meat, seafood, fruits, and/or vegetables. In some cultures, wet markets that sell and slaughter animals on site are common, but the practice can result in unsanitary conditions. The term is so named for the wet floors caused by melting ice and hosing down of work areas. Its opposite, a dry market, sells non-perishable goods such as grains and household goods.