JOIN USExplained | What is a pandemic?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more 1 lakh people across the globe, as a pandemic.
"Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death," WHO said while declaring the novel coronavirus a pandemic.
What is a pandemic?
WHO defines a pandemic as a worldwide spread of a new disease.
The word 'pandemic' is derived from the Greek word 'pandemos'. While 'demos' means the population, 'pan' means everyone. So, 'pandemos' refers to a disease that is spread worldwide, affecting a large section of the people.
The number of novel coronavirus cases in over 100 countries around the world has risen to more than 1,24,000, with over 4,500 deaths, including a jump in fatalities in Iran and Italy in particular.
Why has the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic?
The WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock. After taking stock of the rate at which COVID-19 has been spreading across the globe, it declared it as a pandemic.
"WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we're deeply concerned, both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction," he told a news conference in Geneva.
The organisation has added that this is a pandemic that can be controlled if the countries set up measures to tackle it.
What does this mean?
Terming it a pandemic, forces the governments across the globe to tighten measures to prevent it from spreading. For example, the India government has already suspended all the tourists' visas till April 15th.
When was the last time a pandemic was declared?
The WHO had last declared a pandemic in 2009 during the HIN1 virus outbreak. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) up to 5,75,400 people died from pandemic commonly know as "swine flu."