Glossary

social distancing distancia social

self-isolating auto aislamiento

Ebola handshake el saludo de codos

herd immunity inmunidad colectiva

patient zero paciente cero

vaccine vacuna

panicbuying compra compulsiva por el miedo

pandemic pandemia

hand gel gel de mano

quarantine cuarentena

vulnerable to the virus vulnerable al virus

number of confirmed cases número de casos confirmados

epicentre of the pandemic epicentro de la pandemia

mass gatherings reuniones en masa

closure of schools el cierre de colegios

contact-tracing rastreo de contactos

economic effects efectos económicos

face masks mascarillas

swab muestra

to be tested hacerse el test

to identified infected people identificar la gente infectada

to get infected infectarse

to mutate mutar
CORONAVIRUS

The world in the 21st century is a global village, and just how closely we live within it has
become dramatically clear from coronavirus: this virus does not respect any borders. As the
pandemic sweeps from country to country, and healthcare systems and governments
grapple to overcome it, the language used to describe what is happening is evolving. There
are not so much new words as new usages and combinations of words which, were it not for
the fact that this concerns everyone, would just be medical or official jargon.

At the time of writing this blog – and the situation is changing radically day by day – the UK
government is advocating social distancing*, and everyone is either considering
self-isolating* or knows someone who is. We have moved beyond the point where frequent
20-second hand-washing or use of hand gel, and replacement of handshakes, hugs and
kisses by the Ebola handshake* are sufficient measures to stop the spread of the virus.
Anyone with the symptoms of a fever and/or a persistent cough has been told to quarantine
themselves for 14 days. People over 70 or with underlying health conditions are particularly
vulnerable to the virus. Everyone is being urged to work at home if possible. Of course, this
does not include those in frontline services – doctors, nurses, transport workers, food
manufacturers and outlets.

Coronavirus emerged in China, but it still is not clear who patient zero* was and when they
were infected – in November or earlier. The world watched in horror as the number of
confirmed cases and fatalities in China rose rapidly. Since then, what was an epidemic has
turned into a pandemic, and Europe has become its epicentre. Each country is taking
measures to try and contain the virus. Several have gone into complete lockdown. The
British Government announced a four-phase programme of: contain, delay, research and
mitigate. It held off calling for social distancing initially, partly as it was concerned with
building herd immunity* in the British population. However, the government quickly changed
tack after much criticism and comparison with more radical measures being taken elsewhere
in Europe. Mass gatherings have already been stopped, and at this point it looks like only a
matter of days before we see the closure of schools and universities. GPs have begun to
hold remote consultations, by Skype and so on. To what extent the UK – like Italy, and China
before it – will be playing catch-up from acting too slowly remains to be seen.

In the early days of the virus, it emerged in clusters or hotspots, but now has spread more
widely through the population. Contact-tracing remains vital to stopping the spread. Buildings
where people with the virus have been are deep-cleaned* before normal use can resume.

The economic effects of the pandemic are enormous. Stock markets have crashed; shares
have tumbled. There are fears of a global recession. More immediately, people have started
panicbuying*, stockpiling various goods. There has been such a run on items such as toilet
paper in some places that supermarket shelves have been left bare. Some countries have
placed blanket bans on flights from certain countries. The footfall in restaurants, etc. has
fallen dramatically in the space of a few days. All kinds of businesses, particularly in the
entertainment sphere, are in danger of going bust – and that would mean a loss of jobs.
There are new business opportunities, though, for companies that are capable of
manufacturing ventilators, masks and other medical equipment in shortage, and for delivery
services.

People can be tested for the virus with a swab. A new and faster testing kit is about to go
onto the market, which could play an important part in identifying those who are infected but
show no symptoms (= are asymptomatic), and thus slow down the spread even more.

It could be another year or so before scientists create a vaccine against Coronavirus. In the
meantime, there are fears that the virus could mutate.

In times of crisis, we see the worst but also the best in our fellow humans. One big positive
of this global village of ours is that we now know so much about each other – and hopefully
care more about each other too. We are all in this together. Cutting ourselves off to protect
ourselves has brought forth masses of humour and ingenuity in ways to keep each other’s
spirits up, and underlines what social creatures we are. I’m sure we’ll all be relieved, though,
when we can go back to being that big global village again.