What is the difference between Pandemic and Epidemic

In just six months, the new strain of coronavirus has infected millions of people across the globe. Due to the usually fast rate of the spread of the virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) called it as a pandemic.

Pandemic and epidemic are two terms most people use interchangeably to refer to stages of the spreading of any infectious disease. This is because there is a minute difference between the two and switches as diseases become more or less prevalent over time. But they are two different words, with different meanings.

 Here we tell you what is an epidemic and the difference between epidemic and pandemic.

​An epidemic:

In simple words, an epidemic is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community or region or population. It spreads quickly and affects several people at the same time. It is a phase where the disease starts spreading uncontrollably. It is an outbreak of a disease affecting the major chunk of the population in a particular geographical area. The 1918 Spanish flu, the measles outbreak from 1981 to 1991, and a 2014 case of whooping cough are some examples of an epidemic that took place in the past.

​Difference between epidemic and pandemic:

An epidemic is an early stage of a pandemic where the infection is still at the community level or is limited to a certain section of the population. If it affects the entire population of a country or crosses the boundary and start spreading at a face in other countries then it is termed as a pandemic. Not all epidemics turn into a pandemic. Even in case of coronavirus, till the time it was confined to China's Wuhan region, it was being referred to as an epidemic. Once it started spreading to other countries it was officially termed as a pandemic.

​How pandemic is different:

Although there is a blurred line between epidemic and pandemic, here are a few things that you should know about pandemic:

-It affects a large geographical area, mostly the entire world

-It is generally caused by a new strain of a virus

-The death toll is relatively high

-It even has a major impact on the economy