“What's the difference between a pandemic and epidemic?”
Some people use the terms pandemic and epidemic interchangeably, but don't these terms have different meanings? What's the difference between them?
1 Answer
EpidemiologistEpidemiologist
Florin Paul
Queens, New York
Thanks for the question. You are very right in asking the difference between "PANDEMIC" and "EPIDEMIC." In fact, I will add another epidemiological term respectively "ENDEMIC."
ENDEMIC means that an infectious and usually communicable/transmissible disease has as natural area/territory an incidence and prevalence that shows that the diseases is present in that territory/area. For example, MALARIA is endemic in countries from Africa, like Kenya, Angola, Nigeria, and so on. Usually, the incidence and prevalence have more or less constant values over the time. PANDEMIC means that an infectious and communicable disease is spread over the natural area of the disease. For example, INFLUENZA which can present epidemics al over the Earth (in the same time in North America, Europa, Middle east, South America). EPIDEMIC means that an infectious and communicable disease display in a territory/area an unusual prevalence/incidence of the disease for a short period of time. INCIDENCE definition: refers to the number of individuals who develop a specific disease or experience a specific health-related event during a particular time period (such as a month or year). PREVALENCE definition: refers to the total number of individuals in a population who have a disease or health condition at a specific period of time, usually expressed as a percentage of the population.
I do hope my answer satisfies you.
Stay safe
ENDEMIC means that an infectious and usually communicable/transmissible disease has as natural area/territory an incidence and prevalence that shows that the diseases is present in that territory/area. For example, MALARIA is endemic in countries from Africa, like Kenya, Angola, Nigeria, and so on. Usually, the incidence and prevalence have more or less constant values over the time. PANDEMIC means that an infectious and communicable disease is spread over the natural area of the disease. For example, INFLUENZA which can present epidemics al over the Earth (in the same time in North America, Europa, Middle east, South America). EPIDEMIC means that an infectious and communicable disease display in a territory/area an unusual prevalence/incidence of the disease for a short period of time. INCIDENCE definition: refers to the number of individuals who develop a specific disease or experience a specific health-related event during a particular time period (such as a month or year). PREVALENCE definition: refers to the total number of individuals in a population who have a disease or health condition at a specific period of time, usually expressed as a percentage of the population.
I do hope my answer satisfies you.
Stay safe
