Ever since Covid-19 created the havoc, it has highlighted the importance of the word “Pandemic”. Even the common man without the knowledge of medical science frequently seen uttering the word. As in the case of Corona virus affecting larger population in multiple continents of the world, it perfectly suits the term “pandemic”.
Pandemic means a particular disease affecting a large number of population at the same time in various section of the world in different continents. It is mostly of infectious origin rapidly spreading among human population within a short span of time.
WHO classified the stages of pandemic keeping influenza outbreak in mind
Stage-1
Infections in animal. No human spread of disease.
Stage-2
Spread of infection from animal to human.
Stage-3
Small clusters of infections in human populations with no major explosiveness.
Stage 4
Rapid human to human spread ready to cause pandemic in very short time.
Stage 5
Rampant spread of pandemic within countries of same WHO region.
Stage 6
Pandemic spread in two different countries of two separate WHO regions.
Pandemic has history of origin back to centuries back. In every decade a pandemic is striking with immense loss of human and economic life. In 1918-1919 the Spanish flu took away millions of lives. The devastation caused so deep trauma that human memory is still not able to forget till now. Another pandemic caused by SARS(severe acute respiratory distress syndrome) in China, Hongkong, south-east Asia in 2002. The symptoms of SARS were very similar to Covid-19.
Credit–John Hopkins medicine(SARS)
( Credit–The Guardian– Spanish Flu Pandemic)
What is Epidemic?
“Epidemic” means sudden outbreak of a disease in explosive form in a particular area or locality. The number of cases are certainly outpace the usual cases found normally. For example- measles cases are rarely found after rampant vaccination. In case of sudden resurgence of cases in a particular geographical area in excess number denotes the occurrence of “Epidemic “. Similarly polio has been eradicated in multiple subcontinents in the world. Detection of a single case in a country where it is declared eradicated is also epidemic.
What is endemic?
“Endemic” term used for a disease constantly present in a geographical area. The disease outbreak is maintained in baseline, there is no explosiveness. Sporadic outbreaks can occur throughout the calendar year. There is no rapid rise or fall in the curve as in we see in the epidemics.
Like malaria in Africa, it is present throughout the year. Typhoid, tuberculosis, dengue are few examples of endemic diseases in developing countries.
In developing countries some infectious diseases are seen all the time irrespective of age ,sex, ethnicity like malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis.
