2022-03-04
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน - Set – E - epidemic & endemic
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Dictionary.com:
ออกเสียง epidemic = “ep-i-DEM-ik”
ออกเสียง endemic = “en-DEM-ik”
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions:
epidemic & endemic
Endemic means “peculiar to a given country or people”;
in medicine, the term applied to characteristic of,
or confined to, a particular locality:
“Malaria is endemic in certain warm, humid countries.”
Epidemic, much more often used,
means “breaking out suddenly in such a way as to
affect many individuals at the same time”;
the term is used especially, to refer to contagious diseases;
“In that year an Epidemic of cholera broke out.”
Dictionary.com:
“Epidemic” vs. “Pandemic” vs. “Endemic”:
What Do These Terms Mean?
Published January 20, 2022
COVID-19 has provided a consistent vocabulary lesson in epidemiology.
Among the most important distinctions it has highlighted
are the differences between the terms epidemic, pandemic, and endemic.
These words have major similarities—all three end in -demic
and deal with the spread of disease.
But there are key differences,
including those related to scale and duration.
In this article, we’ll sort out the differences and
answer these questions and others:
- How is a pandemic different from an epidemic?
- What does endemic mean?
- Is COVID-19 endemic?
⚡Quick summary
An epidemic involves the wide-ranging spread of a disease
throughout an entire area or particular community
where it’s not permanently prevalent.
A pandemic involves an even wider spread,
often reaching across the entire world.
The word endemic is used to describe a disease
that persistently and regularly spreads within a particular area or region (that is, it never fully goes away)
—for example, the flu is considered endemic in many places.
The COVID-19 virus is not yet considered endemic,
but medical experts expect that it eventually will become endemic.
What is an epidemic?
An epidemic disease is one
“affecting many persons at the same time,
and spreadingfrom person to person in a locality
where the disease is not permanently prevalent.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) further
specifies epidemic as occurring at the level of a region or community.
Epidemic is commonly used all on its own as a noun,
meaning “a temporary prevalence of a disease.”
For example:
The city was able to stop the flu epidemic before it spread across the state.
Metaphorically,
epidemic is “a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something,”
usually witha negative or humorous connotation:
An epidemic of gentrification was affecting low-income communities
or The hipster look gave way to an epidemic of 1990s fashion.
The -demic part of epidemic (and pandemic)
comes from the Greek dêmos, “people of a district.”
This root also ultimately gives English the word democracy.
More on the prefix epi– later.
Bottom of Form
What is a pandemic?
Compared to an epidemic disease,
a pandemic disease is an epidemic that has spread over a large area, that is, it’s “prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world.”
Pandemic is also used as a noun, meaning “a pandemic disease.”
The WHO more specifically defines a pandemic
as “a worldwide spread of a new disease.”
In March 2020, the WHO officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic due to the global spread and severity of the disease.
While pandemic can be used for a disease
that has spread across an entire country or other large landmass,
the word is generally reserved for diseases
that have spread across continents or the entire world.
For instance:
After documenting cases in all continents except Antarctica,
scientists declared the disease a pandemic.
As an adjective, pandemic can also mean “general” and “universal,”
also often with a negative connotation.
However, pandemic appears to be most commonly used
in the context of epidemiology,
which is concerned with infectious diseases.
Pandemic also entered English, through Latin, in the 1600s. Like epidemic, pandemic ultimately derives from the Greek pándēmos, “common, public.”
Also like epidemic, pandemic was originally used of diseases
when in came into English.
What does endemic mean?
Endemic is an adjective that
means natural to, native to, confined to,
or widespread within a place or population of people.
Endemic is perhaps most commonly used
to describe a disease that is prevalent in
or restricted to a particular location, region, or population.
For example, malaria is said to be endemic to tropical regions.
In this context, it can also be used as a noun:
an endemic disease can simply be called an endemic.
When used to describe species of plants or animals
that are found only within a specific place,
it has the same meaning as native or indigenous,
as in This plant is endemic to this region.
It can also be applied to characteristics of a people, place, or situation,
as in Corruption was endemic in that organization when I worked there.
The first records of endemic in English come from the mid-1600s.
It comes from the Greek éndēm(os).
The prefix en- means “in or within” and the Greek root dēm(os)
means “people.”
So the basic meaning of endemic is “within a certain people”
(or “within a certain area”).
Is COVID-19 endemic?
The short answer is “not yet.”
Currently, COVID-19 is not endemic
and is still classified as a worldwide pandemic.
The COVID-19 virus is still mutating into variant strains
and widespread immunity to COVID-19
will likely take a long time to achieve.
However, most experts predict
that COVID-19 will become an endemic disease after its pandemic phase,
once enough people have developed immunity to COVID-19
(through vaccination or infection).
In other words,
COVID-19 is expected to become a recurring disease like the flu.
When this will happen is hard to predict
—and it will most likely vary from place to place.
For more info on need-to-know coronavirus words,
see our explainer on the flu vs. COVID-19.
Epidemic vs. pandemic
As we mentioned,
it’s unsurprisingly easy to confuse these two words.
For one, they both feature -demic,
which can make it difficult to suss out
which word should be used in which situation.
But, here’s a handy rule of thumb
for using the prefixes of these two words: epi- and pan-.
The prefix epi- is Greek
and variously means “on, upon, near, at,”
while pan-, also a Greek prefix, means “all.”
Knowing this, think of an epidemic as the start of something
—whether a disease or a trend
—spreading rapidly within a community or region,
whereas a pandemic is what an epidemic becomes
once it reaches a far wider swath of people,
especially across continents or the entire world.
If something is spreading like wildfire, it’s an epidemic.
If something has already spread like wildfire
and is currently massive in its reach and impact, it’s a pandemic.
For good measure, here’s an example of each in a sentence:
- The city had to close schools to contain a measles epidemic.
- Although it isn’t exactly known where the disease first originated, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic is estimated to have affected one-third of people across the entire globe.
Pandemic vs. endemic
Classifying a disease as endemic
indicates a level of permanence,
whereas a pandemic has a defined end
(even if it seems like the COVID-19 pandemic will last forever).
Due to its worldwide reach,
a pandemic can lead to a disease becoming endemic
(as opposed to being largely contained or eradicated through the use of vaccines, for example).
Here are examples of each word used in a sentence.
- Medical experts feared that the new virus would spread beyond the country’s borders and cause a worldwide pandemic.
- Polio is endemic in a few countries where its spread has not been contained.
What is the difference between an epidemic, pandemic, and an outbreak?
An outbreak is a “sudden breaking out or occurrence” or “eruption.”
When referring to an infectious disease,
an outbreak is specifically a sudden rise in cases,
especially when it is only or so far affecting a relatively localized area.
That makes a disease outbreak roughly synonymous with an epidemic.
In everyday speech and writing,
people may more generally refer to
the major spread of an infectious disease as an outbreak.
In official, medical, and scientific communication,
however, it’s important not to confuse a local epidemic
(such as a disease affecting just a city) with a pandemic,
because pandemic implies the outbreak spread all over the world.
What is an epicenter?
An epicenter is a “focal point, as of activity.”
If a country or region is called the epicenter of a pandemic disease,
that means more or an accelerating number
of cases are being confirmed there than anywhere else in the world.
Sometimes an epicenter is called a hotspot.
A particular site, such as a nursing home,
where there is a sudden spate of new cases
is also sometimes called a hotspot or even hot zone.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
History and Etymology for epidemic
Adjective
borrowed from French épidémique, going back to Middle French, from epidemie "disease
affecting a large number of individuals" + -ique -IC entry 1;
Middle French epidemie, earlier epydimie,
borrowed from Medieval Latin epidēmia,
derivative (from feminine singular or neuter plural)
of Late Latin epidēmius "widespread, prevalent (of a disease),"
borrowed from Greek epidḗmios "within the country, among the people, prevalent (of a disease),"
from epi- EPI- + -dēmios, adjective derivative of dêmos "district, country, people" — more at DEMO-
NOTE: The notion that the word epidemic (adjective or noun)
is owed directly to Hippocrates
—or is, to put it more circumspectly, part of the Hippocratic Corpus
—is somewhat illusory,
a product of the words used in English translations.
For example, in W. H. S. Jones' translation of De aere aquis et locis
(Loeb Classical Library, 1923), the following passage (4.32-34)
implies a distinction between "endemic" and "epidemic":
"For men these diseases are endemic, besides there are epidemic diseases which may prevail through the change of the seasons."
In the Greek text, however, "endemic diseases"
are nosḗmata epichōría "illnesses of the country, native illnesses,"
while "epidemic diseases" translates ti pánkoinon, literally,
"something common," i.e., "common or general diseases."
Derivatives based on epi- and dêmos can be found in the Hippocratic texts (e.g., "Kaì gàr állōs tò nósēma epídēmon ên," Epidemics 1.14;
"Tà mèn epidēmḗsanta nosḗmata taûta," Epidemics 3.3), though epídēmon means simply "common, prevalent," and epidēmḗsanta "having become prevalent."
The title Epidḗmia, conventionally translated "Epidemics,"
for the works in the Hippocratic Corpus dealing with seasonal diseases
and case histories, is presumably post-classical.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Words of the Week ending April 9, 2021
’Epidemic’
Many people turned to their dictionaries
after President Biden described
gun violence in the United States as an epidemic.
US President Joe Biden has issued an order
targeting homemade guns one day after a mass shooting
in South Carolina left a doctor and his family dead.
"Gun violence in this country is an epidemic,
and it's an international embarrassment,"
he said on Thursday.
— BBC News, 8 Apr. 2021
Epidemic functions as an adjective and as a noun.
As a noun (which is how Biden was using it)
the word has a sense that is literal
(“an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time”)
and a sense that is somewhat figurative
(“an outbreak or product of sudden rapid spread, growth, or development”).
While Biden’s use of epidemic might seem to be best described
as a figurative one,
it is worth noting that in recent years members of the medical establishment have taken to describing gun violence in more clinical and literal terms as an epidemic.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Words We're Watching
Words We're Watching: 'Infodemic'
Here's a reasonable amount of explanation.
What to Know
Infodemic is a blend of "information" and "epidemic"
that typically refers to a rapid and far-reaching spread
of both accurate and inaccurate information about something,
such as a disease.
As facts, rumors, and fears mix and disperse,
it becomes difficult to learn essential information about an issue.
Infodemic was coined in 2003, and
has seen renewed usage in the time of COVID-19.
The words epidemic and pandemic have been,
as of this article's writing in the spring of 2020,
far busier in recent months than anyone wants them to be.
Another word that shares an element with them
is also getting busy: infodemic.
Rise of 'Infodemic'
We don't enter infodemic yet,
but it's a word we're closely watching,
because it's appearing in some prominent places:
Origin of Infodemic
The word isn't new.
It was coined as a blend of information and epidemic in 2003
by journalist and political scientist David Rothkopf
in a Washington Post column,
when the world's attention was on the current crisis's less terrifying relation:
SARS is the story of not one epidemic but two,
and the second epidemic,
the one that has largely escaped the headlines,
has implications that are far greater than the disease itself.
That is because it is not the viral epidemic
but rather an "information epidemic"
that has transformed SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome,
from a bungled Chinese regional health crisis
into a global economic and social debacle.…
[T]he information epidemic—or "infodemic"
—has made the public health crisis harder to control and contain.
Rothkopf goes on to clarify what he means by the word:
What exactly do I mean by the "infodemic"?
A few facts, mixed with fear, speculation and rumor,
amplified and relayed swiftly worldwide by modern information technologies, have affected national and international economies, politics and even security in ways that are utterly disproportionate with the root realities.
It is a phenomenon we have seen with greater frequency in recent years
—not only in our reaction to SARS, for example,
but also in our response to terrorism and even to relatively minor occurrences such as shark sightings.
— David Rothkopf, The Washington Post, 11 May 2003
The coinage is very much of its era.
Blends, words formed by combining other words or word parts,
are very popular.
This one employs information in a way that mirrors
such late 20th-century coinages as infographic and infomercial,
and the -demic of epidemic and pandemic.
In the years between its coinage and its current new prominence
the word was used only sporadically:
While Rothkopf clearly intends the word to have broad application
—he mentions infodemics occurring in responses to terrorism and shark sightings in this 2003 column
—the word isn't yet being widely used in these broader ways.
We'll be watching the word's development to see if it spreads—semantically and popularly. It does seem pretty catchy.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Deciphering the terminology
Epidemic & Pandemic & Outbreak
An outbreak is “a sudden rise in the incidence of a disease”;
an epidemic is “an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly
and affects many individuals at the same time”;
a pandemic is “an outbreak of a disease
that occurs over a wide geographic area
and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population.”
An outbreak may become an epidemic
if it spreads enough,
as an epidemic may likewise become a pandemic.
The difference between an epidemic and a pandemic
is a matter of degree,
and not all the dates listed by Hoyle and Wickramasinghe
can be said to be those of pandemics.
— David Lyons and Gillian Murphy, Nature, 1 Mar. 1990
Dictionary.com:
MORE ABOUT ENDEMIC
What does endemic mean?
Endemic is an adjective that means natural to, native to, confined to, or widespread within a place or population of people.
Endemic is perhaps most commonly used to describe a disease
that is prevalent in or restricted to a particular location, region, or population.
For example, malaria is said to be endemic to tropical regions.
In this context, it can also be used as a noun:
an endemic disease can simply be called an endemic.
When used to describe species of plants or animals
that are found only within a specific place,
it has the same meaning as native or indigenous,
as in This plant is endemic to this region.
It can also be applied to characteristics of a people, place, or situation,
as in Corruption was endemic in that organization when I worked there.
Where does endemic come from?
The first records of endemic in English come from the mid-1600s.
It comes from the Greek éndēm(os).
The prefix en- means “in or within”
and the Greek root dēm(os) means “people.”
So the basic meaning of endemic is “within a certain people”
(or “within a certain area”).
The same root forms the basis of democracy (government by the people),
as well as epidemic and pandemic
—which will be discussed later in this section.
Endemic often means the same thing as native or indigenous,
but you typically wouldn’t describe people as endemic to a region.
Instead, that meaning is usually applied to species of plants
or animals found only in a particular place.
This sense of endemic is sometimes
extended to the conditions or characteristics of a certain place
or situation to indicate that they are widespread or occur naturally there.
This is most often applied to negative qualities,
as in Unemployment is endemic here.
This usage likens such a condition to an endemic disease,
which is perhaps how the word is most commonly used.
A disease can be described as endemic
when it’s confined to a particular place.
For example, polio is endemic in a few countries
where its spread has not been contained.
Other diseases, though, are considered endemic
if they have become established within the general population.
Chickenpox is considered endemic in this way.
When a disease is considered endemic,
it does not necessarily mean it’s very common
—it simply means it’s constantly present at some level.
What’s the difference between endemic, epidemic, and pandemic?
The word endemic should not be confused with epidemic (or pandemic)
—but the words are based on the same root,
and there are some connections between the terms.
All three can be used as both nouns and adjectives.
An epidemic involves a sudden and unusual increase
in new cases of a disease within a location or region.
Epidemics happen when a disease is highly contagious
—meaning it spreads easily.
A pandemic is an epidemic that has gone global
(the prefix pan- means “all”).
Due to its worldwide reach,
a pandemic can lead to a disease becoming endemic
(as opposed to being largely contained
or eradicated through the use of vaccines, for example).
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Choose the Right Synonym for endemic
Adjective
Native, Indigenous, Endemic, Aboriginal
mean belonging to a locality.
Nativeimplies birth or origin in a place or region and may suggest compatibility with it.
native tribal customs
Indigenousapplies to that which is not only native but which, as far as can be determined, has never been introduced or brought from elsewhere.
indigenous plants
Endemicimplies being peculiar to a region.
a disease endemic in Africa
Aboriginalimplies having no known others preceding in occupancy of a particular region.
the aboriginal peoples of Australia
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Did you know?
Adjective
If you translate it literally, endemic means "in the population."
It derives from the Greek endēmos, which joins en,
meaning "in," and dēmos, meaning "population."
"Endemic" is often used to characterize diseases
that are generally found in a particular area;
malaria, for example, is said to be endemic
to tropical and subtropical regions.
This use differs from that of the related word epidemic
in that it indicates a more or less constant presence
in a particular population or area
rather than a sudden, severe outbreak within that region or group.
The word is also used by biologists
to characterize the plant and animal species
that are only found in a given area.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
History and Etymology for endemic
Adjective
borrowed from French & New Latin;
French endémique, borrowed from New Latin endēmicus,
from Medieval Latin *endēmia "disease fixed in one locality" +
New Latin -icus -IC entry 1;
Medieval Latin *endēmia, probably from Greek éndēmos
"at home, living in a place, native, confined to one area
(of a disease, in GALEN)" (from en- EN- entry 2 + -dēmos, adjective derivative of dêmos "district, country, people")
on the model of epidēmia "disease affecting a large number of individuals" — more at DEMO-, EPIDEMIC entry 1
NOTE: Medieval Latin *endēmia is presumed on the basis of
Middle French endemie, occurring in Thomas Le Forestier's
Le regime contre epidimie et pestilence (Rouen, 1495)
(see Revue de linguistique romane, vol. 36 [1972], p. 231).
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Words of the Week November 22, 2019
Endemic may be defined as
“belonging or native to a particular people or country”
or “characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment.”
It is frequently contrasted with epidemic
(“affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time”);
the words share the Greek root of dêmos (“district, country, people”).
When these words are used in a medical sense
endemic refers to a disease that is constantly present,
to an extent, in a particular place,
while epidemic refers to a severe outbreak of a disease
affecting many people in a region at one time.
Although both words are often found used in medical contexts,
they are also employed in a general sense.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Usage Notes
'Epidemic' vs. 'Endemic'
No need to panic
It can be difficult to distinguish between two words
when they are spelled in similar fashion, contain a common root,
and both have definitions which relate to the same topic.
English has a regrettable number of pairs
which might be described in this fashion,
but in this case we are referring to endemic and epidemic.
For those who are in a hurry, and just need to know the quick answer, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage has the following advice:
“Medically speaking,
endemic describes a disease that is constantly present
to a greater or lesser extent in a particular place;
epidemic describes a severe outbreak of a disease affecting many people within a community or region at one time.”
For those of you who wish to explore further this matter,
or who just need something halfway interesting to look at
while you pretend to work, read on.
Both epidemic and endemic came into English around the beginning of the 17th century, and the words share the root Greek dēmos, meaning “population."
The prefix epi- comes from the Greek word meaning “on, at, besides, after,” and en- from en, meaning “in.”
Epidemic was preceded slightly by the now-obsolete epidemical
(which carries the same meaning).
Both endemic and epidemic have taken on senses
outside of science or medicine,
although even in these figurative meanings
the words tend to remain aligned with their initial meanings.
While endemic may be a noun,
it mostlyfunctions figuratively as an adjective, meaning
“characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment.”
Epidemic carries its non-technical meanings as both adjective (“contagious,” “excessively prevalent”)
and noun (“an outbreak or product of sudden
rapid spread, growth, or development”).
For those who are tired of correcting other’s misuse of endemic and epidemic,
and who would like a more obscure topic to harp on,
we may offer you epizootic
(“an outbreak of disease affecting many animals of one kind at the same time”).
Some usage guides urge writers
to reserve the use of epidemic for humans,
employing epizootic for such occasions as
when one is describing an outbreak of chytridiomycosis.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language:
en·dem·ic (ĕn-dĕm′ĭk)
1. Found in or confined to a particular location, region, or people.
Malaria, for example, is endemic to tropical regions.
2. Ecology Native to a particular region or environment
and not occurring naturally anywhere else.
The giant sequoia is endemic to California.
Compare alien, indigenous.
Usage
Aboriginal A disease that occurs regularly in a particular area,
as malaria does in many tropical countries, is said to be endemic.
The word endemic, built from the prefix en-, "in or within,"
and the Greek word demos, "people,"
means "within the people (of a region)."
A disease that affects many more people than usual in a particular area
or that spreads into regions
in which it does not usually occur is said to be epidemic.
This word, built from the prefix epi-, meaning "upon,"
and demos, means "upon the people."
In order for a disease to become epidemic
it must be highly contagious,
that is, easily spread through a population.
Influenza, better known as the flu,
has been the cause of many epidemics throughout history.
Epidemics of waterborne diseases
such as cholera often occur after natural disasters
such as earthquakes and severe storms
that disrupt or destroy sanitation systems and supplies of fresh water.
