THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 12 March 2020 (The coronavirus dictionary (Indian Express))

The coronavirus dictionary (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:International
Prelims level: Pandemic
Mains level: Describe the key terms related to coronavirus

Context:

As the coronavirus spreads around the world, new terms are entering the lexicon — and we’re here to help. Here’s a guide to the words and phrases you need to know to keep informed of the latest developments.

Highlights the key terms:

Pandemic:

A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease that affects large numbers of people.

Epidemic:

An epidemic is a regional outbreak of an illness that spreads unexpectedly, according to the WHO. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines it as an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above normal expectations in a set population.

COVID-19:

The technical name for the coronavirus is SARS-CoV-2. The respiratory disease it causes has been named the “coronavirus disease 2019,” or COVID-19.
Coronaviruses are named............................................

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State of emergency:

A state of emergency can be declared during natural disasters, epidemics and other public health emergencies.

Incubation:

The incubation period is the time it takes for symptoms to appear after a person is infected.
This time can be critical for prevention and control, and it allows health officials to quarantine or observe people who may have been exposed to the virus.
During the incubation period, people may shed infectious virus particles before they exhibit symptoms, making it almost impossible to identify and isolate people who have the virus.

Social distancing:

Social distancing refers to measures that are taken to increase the physical space between people to slow the spread of the virus.
Examples include .............................................................

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Self-quarantine:

This is key to keeping the virus from spreading, along with measures like social distancing, frequent hand-washing and wearing masks.
While isolation refers to separating sick people from people who aren’t sick, quarantine refers to the separation and restriction of movement of people who were exposed to the virus to see if they become sick.

Fatality rate:

The case fatality rate is the number of deaths divided by the total number of confirmed cases. Eventually, scientists hope to have a more comprehensive number called the infection fatality rate, which includes everyone who was infected with the virus.
The WHO estimates the fatality rate of the new coronavirus to be about 3%, based on current data, but experts suggest 1% is more realistic.

R-naught:

The R-naught, or R0, is a virus’s basic reproductive number — an epidemiologic metric used to describe the contagiousness of infectious agents.

Containment

The virus’s high transmission rate has made it difficult to effectively contain the outbreak. Containment refers to the use of any available tools to mitigate the spread of a disease.
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General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), consider the following statements:
1. These are a type of fuel cell being developed mainly for transport applications, as well as for stationary fuel-cell applications and portable fuel-cell applications.
2. PEMFC have an advantage of operational capability at low-temperatures with applications in decentralised power generation systems.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2