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What is a pandemic?

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Quick answer

A pandemic is an outbreak of disease that spreads across multiple countries or continents, affecting large numbers of people. Unlike a local epidemic, a pandemic crosses borders worldwide — as seen with COVID-19 and historical flu outbreaks. It's a disease outbreak that spans many countries or the globe.

Key things to understand

  1. It's a disease outbreak that spans many countries or the globe.
  2. It differs from an epidemic, which is more localized.
  3. It needs a new or easily spread pathogen people lack immunity to.
  4. Global travel can spread it rapidly.
  5. Vaccines, distancing, and herd immunity help bring it under control.

People also ask

What's the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic?
An epidemic is a large outbreak in one area or region; a pandemic spreads across multiple countries or continents.
What makes a disease become a pandemic?
A pathogen that's new or easily transmitted, that people have little immunity to, and that spreads widely across borders.
How do pandemics end?
Through a mix of immunity built by infection and vaccines, behavior changes, and sometimes the pathogen becoming milder over time.