Co-WHAT?? Coronavirus Glossary of Terms

Are you feeling confused by all the terminology being used?

COVID-19

The disease state that results from an infection from the virus SARS-CoV-2. This term is being used pretty interchangeably with the name of the virus, though technically you can be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and not be recognized to have symptomatic disease.

SARS-CoV-2

This is the technical name for the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. It was named this way due to its close relatedness to the virus SARS-CoV-1, which caused the SARS outbreak several years ago.

Social Distancing

A term that describes actions recommended by public health officials to stop or slow down the spread of a highly contagious disease. The practice of social distancing is keeping a greater than usual physical distance from others, and avoiding direct contact with people and objects in public spaces. 

Social Isolation

This is the complete lack of contact between an individual and society. 

Lockdown

A more drastic way to avoid spreading illness, which often include blanket travel restrictions, a ban on all public events, closure of schools and public spaces such as movie theaters, and the suspension of religious services including funerals or weddings. 

Coronavirus Vaccine

Vaccines are medications, usually given by injection, that provide the immune system exposure to a part or parts of a virus or bacteria that stimulates an immune response. This immune response then allows an individual to be less susceptible to infection if exposed to that virus or bacteria. 

Coronavirus Treatment

Drugs that may be used to treat people with COVID-19. Many of these are experimental and at this time would only be offered to hospitalized patients. These treatments may alter the life cycle of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, or alter a severe inflammatory response to the infection that can be damaging to the body.

Supportive Care

A general term that describes supporting the body’s functions during the course of an illness, but do not directly treat the infection. This can include: medications to treat fever, oral or intravenous hydration, and inhaled oxygen. 

Flattening the Curve

This a public health strategy to avoid overwhelming the healthcare system. Rather than having a fast spike in the number of infected people who may need medical care in a hospital, health officials can recommend a variety of measures to flatten out that spike in infections. If this can be done, the healthcare system runs less of a risk of being overwhelmed, and appropriate care can be given to all patients in need. 

N95 mask or respirator

This is a specific type of mask that fits tightly around the contours of the face, and has carbon filtration, which allows for filtering out of small aerosolized infectious particles. The 'N95' designation means that when subjected to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) test particles. N95 masks are used by healthcare workers when there is high risk of breathing in aerosolized infectious particles during certain respiratory care measures in the hospital.

Surgical Mask or Face Mask

These are loosely-fitting masks that create a physical barrier between the nose and mouth to the environment. These may be worn by healthcare workers when there is not risk of breathing in aerosolized infectious particles, and by patients who have COVID-19 as a way to prevent spreading infected droplets from the nose and mouth to others. 

Infectious

This term means that you are contagious, or able to infect other people with an infectious agent.

Symptomatic

When you have symptoms of a given disease or infection. For example, for COVID-19, the typical ways people show they’re symptomatic is when they have a fever and cough.

Asymptomatic carrier

This phrase means that you are not showing typical symptoms of an infection, but you are infected and can potentially spread the infection to others. 

Hand Hygiene

A general term to describe washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 

Epidemic

A rise in the number of cases of a disease or infection in a certain population or community within a given time frame (usually refers to a short amount of time), above what is normally expected.

Pandemic

A situation where a disease or infection spreads across many countries and affects a large number of people. When a pandemic is declared, it is assumed that everyone can be potentially exposed. 

State of Emergency

This can be declared by a state or a nation when disaster has occurred or is imminent, in efforts to mobilize resources. 

We at Inspired Biometrics are committed to empowering parents to best care for their children through education and support. Check into www.inspiredbiometrics.com often for tips and educational posts.

Written by Rosey Olivero, MD

CSO and Co-Founder of Inspired Biometrics

03/18/2020