Important Terms
We are living in a time where it is very important to understand what is happening around us. We might not be familiar with medicine or biology but these days, it is crucial to understand some basic terms that can help protect you, your family and others around you.
Virus
A living organism that takes over a person’s cells to make copies of itself that lead to diseases. Viruses can travel through the air from actions like coughing, sneezing or physical contact. They can also get transferred from objects and surfaces. Common diseases caused by viruses are flu, chickenpox and polio.
Pandemic
A disease that spreads across an entire country, continent or the entire world. Another recent pandemic was the swine flu that also affected most countries of the world.
Coronavirus
A coronavirus belongs to a family of viruses. There are different types of coronaviruses. Some of them cause the common cold. The others can cause widespread diseases like SARS and MERS, responsible for affecting thousands of people.
A ‘novel’ coronavirus is a new coronavirus. The world is currently dealing with a novel coronavirus, originating from wet markets in China, that causes Covid-19.
Vaccine
A vaccine provides immunity against viral infections. It is the only permanent solution against viruses. Vaccines help the body create a mechanism for fighting off viruses like polio, chickenpox and coronavirus.
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