The Coronavirus Crisis

epidemics, pandemics,...

to mutate

contagious, catching, infectious

to be infected with a virus

a symptom

asymptomatic

to cough

to sneeze

to inhale airborne droplets

to have a runny nose

to have a sore throat

tiredness, fatigue

headache

diarrhoea, diarrhea (US)

to have difficulty / trouble breathing

to be short of breath, out of breath

to have a temperature

to have a fever, to run a fever

to test positive (for the virus)

to carry a virus

a carrier

the immune system

herd immunity

plague

cholera

smallpox

a disaster

unexpected

unpredictable, unforeseeable

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

the spread of a virus

an epidemic

a pandemic

an epicentre

an outbreak

the scope, the extent of the epidemic

to affect a country

the hardest-hit area

to stem, halt an outbreak

to check an epidemic

to eradicate

endemic

flu, influenza

the H1N1 virus

swine flu, pig flu, H1N1 flu

bird flu, avian flu, avian influenza H5N1

a flu strain

a case of avian flu

an outbreak of avian flu

lethality

the elderly

a care home, a nursing home, a retirement home

to hospitalize sb

to be in intensive care

a ventilator

health workers, medical staff

a nurse

an assistant nurse

a hero (pl: -oes)

to clap

show solidarity with sb

to combat the virus

state of emergency

to flatten the curve

preventative measures, health precautions

a tissue

social distancing

to wash your hands

to greet sb

to shake hands

to kiss sb

to wear a (face) mask

medical supplies

to stockpile

to run out of protective equipment

to be short of masks

a shortage

gloves

to self-isolate

bleach

to disinfect public areas

antibiotics

a vaccine

to get vaccinated

to quarantine sb

to put / be under quarantine

travel ban

travel restrictions

to issue a stay-at-home order

lockdown, confinement

to work from / at home

a videoconference

to furlough sb

panic buying

a waiver

to lift the lockdown

to ease, to loosen restrictions

to come out of the blue

to spread like wildfire

to go viral [video, story, ...]

to nip sth in the bud

to be in the same boat

to take stock (of sth)

to look on the bright side

every cloud has a silver lining

United we stand, divided we fall