EPIDEMIC Vs PANDEMIC

INTRODUCTION

An EPIDEMIC is an occurrence of an illness which is actively spreading in a community at a particular

time. It spreads unexpectedly.

A PANDEMIC is defined as an epidemic occurring over a very wide area, affecting the whole country
or even the whole world. Pandemic means world wide Epidemic. It is a global crisis where the
humans have little or no immunity for the disease being spread.

QUOTES

“Epidemics on the other side of the world are a threat to us all. No epidemic is just local” -Peter Piot

“IN spite of the advances of medicine, deathly epidemics are more menacing than even before’’ -
Christian de Duve

“It’s useful to compare our preparations for epidemics with our preparations for war” -Bill Gates

“Epidemics follow patterns because diseases follow patterns. Viruses spread; they reproduce;

they die” -Jill Lepore

“A pandemic influenza would mean widespread infection essentially throughout every region of the
world’’ -Anthony Fauci

“Pandemic influenza is by nature an international issue; it requires an international solution’’-

Margaret Chan

“Without equity, Pandemic battles will fail. Viruses will simply recirculate, and perhaps undergo
mutations or changes that render vaccines useless, passing through the unprotected populations of
the planet’’-Laurie Garrett

STATISTICS

The Coronavirus is not the first widespread disease that the world has faced. The history has
witnessed sever cases of epidemic and pandemic outbreaks.

ANTONINE PLAGUE also known as the Plague of Galen, was an ancient pandemic which caused due
to Smallpox or Measles. This disease was brought back to Rome by the soldiers returning from
Mesopotamia in 165 AD which killed over 5 million people.

PLAGUE OF JUSTINAIN killed up to 25 million people – half of the population of Europe. It was the
outbreak of the bubonic plague which was spread by animals or insects.

THE BLACK DEATH with an estimated death toll between 75 and 200 million people. It was an
outbreak of the plague which came from Europe, Africa and Asia and was spread via the bacteria
called Yersinia pestis. The rats then spread it to fleas that were on their bodies.

THIRD CHOLERA PANDEMIC considered the deadliest of the seven cholera pandemics with a death
toll of around 1 million population from 1852 to 1860. It was originated in India, spreading from the
Ganges River Delta before reaching to Asia, Europe, North America and Africa. Contaminated water
was the means of transmission for this pandemic.
FLU PANDEMIC was an epidemic of INFLUENZA virus. It was the direct result of the weak immune
system as the virus was new and caused severe illness. It claimed the lives of over a million
individuals. Rapid population growth of the 19 th century helped the flu to spread across the globe. It
was first true epidemic in the era of bacteriology.

SIXTH CHOLERA PANDEMIC originated in India which killed over 800000 population before spreading
to the Middle east, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia. It remained constant in India. The
infected people from the U.S were isolated and hence the deaths could be curbed.

FLU PANDEMIC 1918 was a deadly influenza it affected the population of 20- 50 million. 500 million
of the population was infected with the virus. No vaccines and antibiotics were available to protect
against this influenza infection. Isolation, Quarantine, Good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants
and limitations of public gatherings were invented ways.

ASIAN FLU 1956 TO 1958 H2N2 virus took a toll of 2 million was originated in China and was spread
to Guizhou, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States.

FLU PANDEMIC 1968 also referred as the Hong Kong Flu, was caused by H3N2 which is a virus from
H2N2 subtype. In took only 17 days before the outbreak of the virus were reported in Singapore and
Vietnam and within three months it had spread to The Philippines, India, Australia, Europe and the
United States. It resulted in the death of more than a million people,inclusive 500000 residents of
Hong Kong.

HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC 2005- 2012 Death toll of 36 million. New treatments have been developed that
makes HIV more manageable and many of those infected go on to lead productive lives. Global
death rates have dropped from 2.2 million to 1.6 million.

COVID-19 (THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS)

Beginning in Dec 2019, in the region of Wuhan- China, a new coronavirus began appearing in human
beings. No one on the earth has an immunity to Covid-19 because no one had Covid-19 until 2019.
WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic in March and hence people got aware from careful hand-
washing to social distancing. Countries across the world declared mandatory lock downs.

The survival of the human race is the primary concern in the world.

DESCRIPTION

A rise in the number of cases of a disease beyond what is normal is Epidemic. These diseases are
contagious or infectious and they attack large number of individuals within a short space.
Investigation says that these diseases are due to some common cause change in ecology,
contamination air, water, food. Measures taken to curb these outbreaks of diseases must be
prompt. If the epidemic reaches to more locations affecting population all over its termed as
pandemic.

Pandemic is an eruption in a local region like one country or one area of the country and usually it
includes a greater percentage of population being affected. A pandemic is a global deadlock where a
large number of people are infected. It is a new or long forgotten disease where humans have little
or no immunity and it spreads quickly.

Some of the deadly pandemics from the history were the pandemic of the BLACK DEATH and the
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC. Increase in the pandemics is due to global travel, changes in land and
exploitation of the natural environment. Despite the advancement in the health sector challenges
exist in global pandemics.

Pandemics cause significant mortality impact. It causes economic damage and is negative for
economic growth. Fear arises in the behavior of individuals because of growing pandemics leading to
social and economic disruptions.

It is often caused by a new virus that hasn’t circulated among people for a long time. Humans have
no immunity towards it and it spreads quickly from person- to -person worldwide.

CONCLUSION

Pandemics can be battled only if we take the precautions seriously which are intended to minimize
the spread.

Implementing the needful actions helps to strengthen the preparedness at global, national and
regional levels.