VOA慢速英语2020--Pandemic 和 Epidemic

This week received the same question from two VOA fans. Here is the first question.

Question:

"What is the difference between "pandemic" and "epidemic¹?" They appear a lot in recent VOA news. Thanks a lot!" - Tina, China.

A day later, we got this email: "In recent discussion of the outbreak and spread of coronavirus, we got a little bit confused by two similar words: "pandemic" & "epidemic". Could you please explain their difference and usage? Thank you so much for your kind help in advance." - Chris, China.

Answer:

Dear Tina and Chris,

Thank you for writing to us. That is true, we are seeing and hearing these words very often in the news. When the coronavirus crisis began, it was called an "epidemic" or an "outbreak." After it spread across the whole world, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided² to call it a "pandemic" on March 11.

Epidemic

Here are some examples from news stories about "epidemics³" and "pandemic:"

Italy's coronavirus epidemic began in January.

The cholera⁴ pandemic began in India, and spread across the globe through trade routes.

One summer, refugees leaving a yellow fever epidemic in the Caribbean Islands sailed into Philadelphia.

I like to look at the origins of words when I am trying to understand them better so I can explain them to you. I found that both of these words were adjectives in English before we started using them as nouns. That is why they end in -ic, like the word "tragic⁵." The same thing is true of the words "comic" and "academic" – they are used as both nouns and adjectives. Here is a sentence where "epidemic" is used as an adjective:

The Centers for Disease Control confirmed that the flu has now reached epidemic proportions across the U.S.

When we use it as an adjective, "epidemic" is often followed by the word "proportions." Together, this means the size of the group of people affected⁶ is very large.

These days, you might hear people use "epidemic" to talk about a non-medical problem, such as:

There was an epidemic of crime in the city.

Or, health officials warn about the epidemic use of flavored tobacco.

Pandemic

Merriam Webster Dictionary tells us that our word "pandemic" comes from two Greek word parts: pan- for "all" or "every" and demos for "people." Medical writers use this word to talk about an illness that affects almost everyone in a country or that crosses borders to affect people in many countries.

On March 11, 2020, WHO's director-general said, "Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly." He was reminding people that the word is used only for the most extreme and dangerous situations.

Using the two words

To use these terms, the main thing you should remember is that a pandemic is much worse than an epidemic. A pandemic is a type of epidemic, but you cannot say that an epidemic is a type of pandemic.

And people rarely use "pandemic" to talk about a non-medical problem, as we mentioned earlier with "epidemic."

Here are a couple of sentences for you to listen to with "epidemic" or pandemic." Fill in the blank.

With fewer people in the streets because of the _________, more wild animals are walking in cities around the world.

If you answered "pandemic," you are right because the word describes the worldwide spread of disease which has affected people and animals.

Now try completing this news headline:

The ______ of Kindness: Free Toilet Paper, Car Washes and More

You're right if you guessed "epidemic," because it is used to describe something that affects a lot of people but is not necessarily a disease. In fact, it's something good. Many groups are talking about this epidemic of kindness as they find ways to help each other during this pandemic.

Send us your question by email at [email protected].

And that's Ask a Teacher for this week.

Words in This Story

outbreak – n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease

1 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 epidemics   

n．流行病

参考例句：

• Reliance upon natural epidemics may be both time-consuming and misleading. 依靠天然的流行既浪费时间，又会引入歧途。
• The antibiotic epidemics usually start stop when the summer rainy season begins. 传染病通常会在夏天的雨季停止传播。

4 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

5 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。