Corona Related English Words and Their Meanings Part 1

While reading a newspaper or an article about corona you may come across a new word like comorbidity, corona, respiratory syndrome, etc. But you may not know many words which are used in that article or newspaper. You have to search each and every word to know their meanings and may take your precious time. Here in this article we have given mostly used English words related to corona and their meanings with explanations if needed. Sounds interesting? Lets go into the article.

Corona Related English Words and Their Meanings Part 1

1) Virus:

Virus is a very small living thing (microorganism, germ) that causes infectious disease.

Explanation:

Virus is a too small agent or germ. It is smaller than a bacterium. It can be seen easily by microscopy.  It cannot grow or reproduce apart from a living cell. It can multiply only within the living cells of a host. So, without a living body it cannot grow or reproduce. Some common viruses are HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), Dengue virus, Ebolavirus, Influenza virus, Poliovirus, Corona virus.

Example:

She suffered from Dengue fever after catching Dengue virus from her friend.

2) Coronavirus:

Coronavirus is a type of virus which causes illness in living beings.

Explanation:

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses and so has more types. These viruses cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.  Some of the diseases caused by Corona are Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The new identified disease caused by corona is coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Example:

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting all of the countries and territories around the world.

3) disease:

A disease is an illness which affects living beings (people, animals, or plants).

Explanation:

A disease is an undesired condition in a human body (also animal, plant) which affects the structures or functions of the body. So, the organ or structures will not be in normal working or disordered. It may be caused by bacteria or virus.

Example:

Due to Vitamin deficiencies in humans, the number of diseases is increasing worldwide.

4) Coronavirus disease (COVID - 19):

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the infectious disease caused by one type of virus which belongs to the coronavirus family.

Explanation:

Corona viruses are not new viruses. They are a family of viruses already there. But a type of virus in corona family discovered newly and causes diseases all over the world. This new virus is firstly discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. COVID -19 stands for Corona Virus Disease 2019 – as it is first discovered in 2019.

Example:

Scientists have said that the coronavirus disease (COVID - 19) first emerged at a market selling live animals in Wuhan.

5) deceased:

Adjective: no longer living, especially recently dead.

Noun: the person who recently died

Explanation:

If deceased is used as adjective, then deceased means someone died recently.

For instance, deceased Grandfather.

If deceased is used as noun, then deceased means a person who recently died.

For instance, the dead body of the deceased.

Note: disease and deceased are different words.

Example:

This great house is built by my deceased grandfather. (Used as adjective)

This property will be handed over to his son as the deceased requested it. (Used as noun)

6) positive:

Positive means you have the disease for which you have tested.

Explanation:

In medical field, they will conduct a lab test for diseases. If the result comes as positive it means you are affected by the disease which has been tested for. If the result comes as negative it means you are not affected by the disease which has been tested for. And so, Corona positive means you have affected by coronavirus disease.

Example:

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive for coronavirus.

7) infection:

The state of being contaminated by a disease producing agent such as bacteria or virus

Explanation:

If an organism’s body is affected by an infection means it is affected by the disease creating agents like bacteria or virus. These agents multiply, react with cells of body and create toxins which may even kill the body.

Example:

COVID – 19 is an infectious disease which causes fever, dry cough, tiredness, etc.

8) transmission:

Transmission means the act of spreading infectious agents (virus, bacteria, etc.) from one person to another.

Explanation:

In medical field (for diseases) transmission means that the act of the viruses, bacteria, etc. which are spread (transmitted) from one person to another.

Example:

 The primary transmission of coronavirus is through the contact of an infected person or his respiratory droplets created when he coughs or sneezes.

9) symptoms:

something that indicates the presence of the disease

Explanation:

Symptoms means some indications which will give evidence that you are affected by the disease.

Example:

The symptoms for COVID – 19 are fever, dry cough, tiredness, aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhoea, headache, loss of taste or smell, etc.

10) asymptomatic:

A condition of producing or showing no symptoms

Explanation:

If a person is asymptomatic for a disease means he has no evidence or signs of that disease. For instance, the symptoms of coronavirus disease are fever, dry cough, etc. If the person doesn’t have any of these but he is affected by corona virus then we say he is asymptomatic person. If the symptoms are not so severe like sore throat, then we say he is mild symptomatic person.

Example:

Many cases which tested positive for COVID – 19 in India are asymptomatic.

11) pandemic:

Spreads wider and prevalent (available) all over the countries.

Explanation:

Pandemic comes from the Greek word pandemos means all people (pan - all, demos – people). So that if a disease is widespread and available in many continents or in worldwide, then we say this disease is pandemic.

Example:

COVID-19 is a pandemic affecting many countries globally.

Coronavirus disease is announced as pandemic by WHO.

12) casualties:

Persons who are killed or injured in a war, accident or by a disease, etc.

Explanation:

If some people affected by a disease or something else like accident, natural disaster then we call them as casualties.

Example:

Some of the casualties are shifted to hotel as they are asymptomatic for the disease.

13) case:

The occurrence or the existence of something especially a disease.

Explanation:

In medical field case means the occurrence or the existence of a disease which requires medical attention. Sometimes it is also used for mentioning the patients who are affected by the disease.

Example:

She had a severe case of Dengue fever.

New coronavirus cases reported in the past 24 hours.

14) succumbed:

If you succumbed to a disease, you are affected by the disease and to may die because of it.

Explanation:

If someone is succumbed to an illness, then it means that he is affected severely  by that illness and he may die due to that illness.

Example:

Many doctors and policemen are succumbed to COVID – 19.

15) comorbidity:

The presence of more than one condition (disease, disorder, etc)

Explanation:

In medical field, comorbidity means the presence of more than one disorder with a primary disorder. For instance, if a person is tested positive for coronavirus disease and he has cancer then we say this condition as comorbidity. Because he has more than one disease at the same time.

Example:

Many people who died of COVID – 19 had comorbidity.

16) Respiratory:

Relating to or affecting breathing

Explanation:

Respiratory means relating to breathing or relating to the organs which helps breathing.

Example:

Smoking can cause respiratory diseases.

Corona viruses cause respiratory diseases.

17) Syndrome:

A group of symptoms or signs which occur together.

Explanation:

A collection of symptoms or signs which occur together and can be used to easily recognize the type of condition or disease.

Example:

One type of virus which already known is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS).

Here, respiratory syndrome means the many symptoms related breathing like shortness of breathing, difficulty in breathing, cough, etc.

18) Immune:

protected against a disorder condition or an illness

Explanation:

If you are immune to a disease means you are protected by the antibodies or certain elements which is in the blood and you will not be affected by that disease.

Example:

The vaccination will make me immune to Coronavirus Disease. 

19) Vaccine:

Vaccine is a medicine which protect from disease

Explanation:

Vaccine is a medical substance which protects as from a disease by helping our body’s immune system to fight against it.

Example:

Vaccine for Coronavirus is not invented yet.

20) death toll:

The number of people who died in an event or cause.

Explanation:

The counting of the people who dies in a cause is called death toll.

Example:

The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has hit 601,213.

21) mortality rate

The measure of the number of deaths in the population

Explanation:

The count of the number of death in a population is called mortality rate.

Example:

The maternal mortality rate refers to deaths due to birth or pregnancy-related complications

22) tally:

The count of number of things

Explanation:

The counting of the number of things. The calculation of total number of something.

Example:

India's coronavirus tally surged to 10.77 lakh cases.

23) recuperate:

Recovering from an illness or from a bad condition

Explanation:

If someone is recuperating from an illness he is recovering from that illness and will be cured soon.

Example:

More than two lakh people have recuperated from coronavirus disease.

24) PPE:

Protecting equipment used for protecting from illness and injuries if not use.

Explanation:

PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment. It may be any device or something which must be worn and held by an individual so that he may be protected from the injuries or from the attack of disease.

Example:

Kindly wear the PPE when you go to the workshop.

Doctors are working in the Corona ward wearing PPE.

25) Mask:

A cover for the face

Explanation:

Mask is a face cover used for amusing others, to hide the face, to protect from dust or from spreading bacteria, virus, etc. Mask is also a PPE.

Example:

Mask must be worn while you are going to public places to be protected from Corona Virus.

26) Gloves:

A covering for the hand

Explanation:

A covering for the hand which can be used to avoid dust and used for safety while using harmful chemicals or devices, etc. Gloves protect form injuries. gloves are also PPE.

Example:

Medical gloves provide protection from Viruses.

27) sanitizer

 A substance to remove or kill disease creating agents such as bacteria, virus, etc.

Explanation:

Sanitizer is a liquid or something used especially to wash hands and it will remove or kill the pathogens. If it is used for hand it may be called hand sanitizer.

Example:

Some contaminated hand sanitizers can make you go blind.

28) Outbreak:

A sudden beginning of something dangerous or severe especially a disease or war or a time when something occurs unpleasant.

Explanation:

A sudden emergence of something undesirable or dangerous or a time when it is emerged is called outbreak.

Example:

The outbreak of corona was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

29) Spike:

A sharp increase in the magnitude or concentration of something.

Explanation:

Spike in something means which has increased very high and fast.

Example:

India registered its biggest single-day spike on Sunday with 15372 patients testing positive for COVID - 19.

30) Peak:

the highest, strongest

Example:

India is expected to hit a peak of 6,45,700 active cases on August 21.

31) surge:

A sudden, powerful or great increase

Example:

India's coronavirus tally surged to 10.77 lakh cases.

32) rise:

To increase

Example:

Assam reports 118% corona cases in just two weeks.

33) isolation:

The condition of being alone

Explanation:

The condition of being alone or separated from people, countries, etc. Sometimes to protect from diseases the patients are isolated. The place used for isolation is called isolation ward.

Example:

The AIIMS administration is prepared to utilize the isolation ward for suspected cases of COVID 19 cases.

34) quarantine:

A keep a person or an animal away from other people, animals or from public.

Explanation:

The situation in which a person or an animal is kept in a separate place so that the disease will not spread further.

Also, the time of being separated is called quarantine.

Example:

Police Commissioner went into home quarantine on Friday after his driver tested positive for COVID-19.

35) social distancing:

Social distancing is an act of making distance from others

Explanation:

Social distancing is a practice implemented for making distance from other people or animal so that a certain type of diseases won’t spread.

Example:

People must follow social distancing procedure while going to public areas to contain the spread of virus (transmission of the virus).

36) physical distancing:

Physical distancing is an act of making distance from other people or objects and not touching

Explanation:

This means the practice of distancing to reduce the transmission of virus making some distance from the objects or people or not touching them without gloves or PPE, etc. But social distancing means separated from all people and cannot be contacted other persons easily. Physical distancing only refers to make a certain distance from others.

Example:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has started using the phrase "physical distancing" instead of "social distancing" to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus from people to people.

37) containment:

Taking control of an area or under the limits to contain something dangerous.

Explanation:

The act of keeping the certain area in control so that something dangerous disease or something else won’t spread other areas.

The controlling or limiting of something harmful or dangerous.

Example:

35 more areas added to list of containment zones.

38) zone:

A well-defined area which has certain interests or divided as a separate area for particular purpose.

Example:

Government has divided certain areas and announced as containment zone which are affected by COVID – 19.

39) contact tracing:

The process of identifying the number of persons who had contacted with the infected persons is called contact tracing.

Explanation:

To control the spread of disease or to find the cause of disease, the details of the number of persons who have contacted the infected person (person who has illness) are collected and analyzed. This process is called contact tracing.

Example:

Contact tracing won't control (curb) the spread of COVID -  19 if very few number of tests are conducted.

40) essential commodities:

Goods considered essential to maintain a minimum acceptable standard of living

Explanation:

Goods which are must to live a normal standard of life.

Example:

The Pune officials have eased the lockdown and have allowed the shopkeepers who sell essential commodities to open their shops for four hours in a day.

Thank you for reading the article with patient. If you do not understand any of the meaning described above, then please comment in the comment section below. Also if you feel some of the common words related to corona are not added in this article, you can also post here. We may add it in the future.

Summary of the words that you have learned:

  1. Virus
  2. Coronavirus
  3. Disease
  4. Coronavirus disease (COVID – 19)
  5. Deceased
  6. Positive
  7. Infection
  8. Transmission
  9. Symptoms
  10. Asymptomatic
  11. Pandemic
  12. Casualties
  13. Case
  14. Succumbed
  15. Comorbidity
  16. Respiratory
  17. Syndrome
  18. Immune
  19. Vaccine
  20. Death toll
  21. Mortality rate
  22. Tally
  23. Recuperate
  24. PPE
  25. Mask
  26. Gloves
  27. Sanitiser
  28. Outbreak
  29. Spike
  30. Peak
  31. Surge
  32. Rise
  33. Isolation
  34. Quarantine
  35. Social distancing
  36. Physical distancing
  37. Containment
  38. Zone
  39. Contact tracing
  40. Essential commodities

Due to the huge amount of words about corona virus, we have created Part 2. To explore more and learn new words go to the next part by following the link below.

Corona Related English Words and Their Meanings Part 2

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