Hobbes ([info]kitling) wrote,
@ 2009-06-10 15:34:00
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So what is the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic anyway?

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[info]zen_cat
2009-06-10 05:46 am UTC (link)
An epidemic happens some place else. A pandemic happens where we are.

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[info]dr_nic
2009-06-10 06:04 am UTC (link)
A pandemic is a widespread epidemic.

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[info]anidan
2009-06-10 06:05 am UTC (link)
From Medterms.com:

Definition of Pandemic

Pandemic: An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world.

By contrast:

* An epidemic affects more than the expected number of cases of disease occurring in a community or region during a given period of time. A sudden severe outbreak within a region or a group as, for example, AIDS in Africa or AIDS in intravenous drug users.
* An endemic is present in a community at all times but in low frequency. An endemic is continuous as in the case of malaria in some areas of the world or as with illicit drugs in some neighborhoods.

The word "pandemic" comes from the Greek "pan-", "all" + "demos", "people or population" = "pandemos" = "all the people." A pandemic affects all (nearly all) of the people. By contrast, "epi-" means "upon." An epidemic is visited upon the people. And "en-" means "in." An endemic is in the people.

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[info]delwyn
2009-06-10 06:10 am UTC (link)
And there's my learning for the day!

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[info]lirion
2009-06-10 06:26 am UTC (link)
That's a much more useful response than mine was going to be: Scale, epidemic is localised, pandemic is widespread :)

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[info]anidan
2009-06-10 11:55 pm UTC (link)
I was about to type something like that, but then I thought I might have it backwards, so I used my Google Fu for good instead of evil :)

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[info]infonerd
2009-06-10 06:26 am UTC (link)
A pandemic can also refer to an epidemic that continues across a wide timeframe instead of (or in addition to) a large geographic area.

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[info]kitling
2009-06-11 12:31 am UTC (link)
this comment wins most useful post award :)

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