By: Sanjana B
Coronavirus: A common group of viruses that infects human beings, leading to respiratory complications.
COVID –19: Coronavirus Diseases 2019. The disease is said to have originated in late 2019.
Herd Immunity: When so many people in a community become immune to an infectious disease by getting exposed to it directly or in-directly that it stops the disease from spreading.
Asymptomatic: A person who merely carries an infection without displaying its symptoms.
Social Distancing: A strategy to prevent the spread of contagion by reducing physical interactions with people. This is the first step toward prevention.
Quarantine: People exposed to a person with a disease self-monitoring themselves to see if any symptoms develop. This is the second step toward prevention.
Self-isolation: A person who has had direct contact with an infected person or is exhibiting symptoms, isolates himself from the outside world and human contact for 14 to 28 days. Undergoes a COVID-19 test. This is a stage before treatment and cure.
Cabin Fever: Irritability from isolation for a long time.
Comorbidity: The presence of other underlying medical conditions and complications along with a single disease, like Diabetes, Hypertension, Asthma or CKD.
Contact Tracing: a strategy to identify all people who may have come in contact with an infected person.
Flattening the Curve: slowing down the infection in a way to reduce the height of a graphic curve.
Fomite: Contaminated surfaces of objects likely to carry the infection. Like Hospital beds, trays, trolleys at the superstore, clothes, utensils etc.
Immunocompromised: A person with a weakened immune system due to a disease or health condition.
Incubation Period: The amount of time between exposure to infection and appearance of symptoms. Incubation Period of COVID-19 is around 14 to 28 days.
Morbidity Rate: Ratio of total people affected in a time period to the total population of the area.
N95 Respirator: A special mask designed to filter out 95% airborne particles, including small particle aerosols and large droplets
Negative Pressure Rooms: A type of isolation technique used to prevent contamination from room to room. Done by sucking in air from a common space and ejecting the diseased air in the room towards the outside.
PPE: Personal protection equipment is protective clothing (helmets, eye protection gear, gloves, high-visibility clothing and safety footwear) used to safeguard the user from exposure to hazardous elements.
R0/R-naught: Basic reproduction number of infection; the number of people who can contract the infection from a single person.
(Sanjana is a student of journalism and a documentary film lover)
