What’s in a name: Technical words on every lip as coronavirus spreads

 A virus is on the loose. It has caused countrywide lockdowns, closure of schools and borders and banning flights to and from high-risk countries.

The world is quivering.

Since the virus was first discovered in December 2019, words like Covid-19, quarantine, lockdown among others are on every lip. We break them down for you.

Coronavirus

According to World Health Organization (WHO), Coronavirus is a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Coronavirus is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. 

They are called corona because, with spikes sticking out their bodies, they look like crowns.  

Covid-19

In February, the World Health Organisation announced “COVID-19” as the name of this new disease on February 11, 2020. Covid-19 stands for Corona Virus Disease 19.

The name was changed to prevent stigmatisation of China where the virus originated as mischievous people were talking of the C as standing for China.

In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said, “Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks.”

SARS-CoV

SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. 

Viruses, and the diseases they cause, often have different names. For example, HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. People often know the name of a disease, such as measles, but not the name of the virus that causes it (rubeola).

From a risk communications perspective, using the name SARS can have unintended consequences in terms of creating unnecessary fear for some populations, especially in Asia which was worst affected by the SARS outbreak in 2003.

Respiratory diseases

They affect the lungs and other parts of the respiratory system. They include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, and lung cancer.

People who suffer respiratory disease are more likely to die if they contact the coronavirus.

Quarantine V/S Isolation

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), isolation and quarantine help protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease.

Quarantine 

It is the separation and restriction of the movement of people who were exposed to contagious diseases.

Isolation

It is the separation of sick people with a contagious disease from healthy ones.

In our case, four people with have been confirmed to harbour the coronavirus are in isolation wards at Mbagathi Hospital, Nairobi, while 48 people initially suspected to have contracted the virus and have tested negative, were allowed to go home and self-quarantine.

Lockdown

This is an emergency protocol that usually prevents people or information from leaving an area.

A full lockdown usually means that people must stay where they are and may not enter or exit a building or rooms within said building. It also entails visiting particular places within set periods of time e.g for shopping.

As the pandemic spreads, governments are imposing various forms of lockdown.

Spain, Italy and France have imposed nationwide lockdowns, shutting down all but essential services. Those who ignore the restrictions will face the law.

Kenya is however not on lockdown. But, the government has put in place measures to limit the spread of the disease including suspending schooling, public gatherings and travel for persons coming into Kenya from countries with reported Covid-19 cases.

High-Risk

High-risk countries are those exposed to a higher level of the coronavirus. These include the UK, China, the US, and Europe.

High-risk population includes the elderly, people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes, or people with weakened immune systems.

Pandemic V/S Epidemic

WHO refers to a pandemic as the global spread of a new disease.

The CDC defines a pandemic as "an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people."

On March 11, WHO declared the coronavirus a pandemic. At the time, there were over 118,000 cases across the world in over 110 countries.

An epidemic refers to an uptick in the spread of a disease within a specific community.

Masks

A surgical mask, also known as a medical mask or a face mask, is intended to be worn to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets from the wearer's mouth and nose. 

People around the world are walking around wearing these, amid the spread of the Covid-19, as a way of protecting themselves.

WHO lists scenarios of when one can wear a mask i.e.:

If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with the suspected 2019-CoV infection. Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing. Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.

Epi-center

In this context, the epi-center would mean the point of origin.

The coronavirus first originated from Wuhan, China but as cases progressed and the death toll increased, that has changed.

In an address on March 13, WHO’s head Tedros Adhanom said Europe is now the "epicentre" of the global coronavirus pandemic.

"Europe has now become the epicentre of the pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China. More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic,” he said.

As stands, there are over 197,000 coronavirus cases and over 7,800 deaths globally.