Pandemic
What is a pandemic?
A pandemic is defined as the spread of an infectious disease that extends across several regions of the world, affecting many countries and a large number of people. It is characterised by exceeding the expected number of cases and remaining active for an extended period.
For a disease to be considered a pandemic, it must have an infectious origin and be transmissible between people. Simply being widespread or causing many deaths is not enough. For instance, although cancer causes many deaths, it is not considered a pandemic because it is not contagious.
The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies three key elements for a disease to have pandemic potential.
- The emergence of a new pathogen against which the population has little or no immunity.
- The ability to cause serious illness in humans.
- Sustained and effective transmission from person to person.
Pandemics throughout history
Throughout history, humanity has faced numerous pandemics caused by various pathogens, many of which have had devastating consequences. The deadliest of these was the Black Death, which claimed between 75 and 200 million lives in the 14th century.
Many of the pandemics that have affected humanity over time have been zoonoses, diseases transmitted from animals to humans. These mainly arose with the domestication of animals and have included illnesses such as smallpox, diphtheria, influenza and tuberculosis.
Outbreak, epidemic, pandemic: from local to global
The difference between a pandemic and an epidemic is not their severity, but their extent. Unlike a pandemic, which affects many countries or regions, an epidemic refers to a sudden increase in cases above what is normally expected, but is limited to a specific community or region. Common examples of epidemics include cholera, dengue, measles and seasonal flu. Finally, an outbreak is even more limited in terms of time and location. A typical example would be several cases of food poisoning over two or three days.
The COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Initially, it was referred to as ‘Wuhan pneumonia’ due to its origin in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Scientific evidence suggests that the virus jumped from bats to an intermediate host and then to humans.
The virus spreads primarily through respiratory transmission, and the most common symptoms are fever, chills and a sore throat. The vast majority of people recover without the need for specialised treatment. However, older adults and those with chronic illnesses or immunodeficiencies are at a higher risk of developing a severe case of the disease or dying from it.
Vaccines against COVID-19 offer strong protection against severe disease. Although it is possible to become infected after vaccination, in most cases the symptoms are mild or even non-existent.
On 30 January 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern, and on 11 March it was declared a pandemic. This status remained in place until 5 May 2023, when the end of the health emergency was announced. The disease is currently considered endemic, meaning it is constantly present in a specific geographical area, as the number of reported cases has significantly decreased compared to the early years of the pandemic.
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