Coronavirus: Intensive care and other key terms explained

The coronavirus pandemic has introduced dozens of new words and phrases into everyday life, from social distancing to herd immunity. But what do they all mean?

Use our translator tool to look up key terms and check their meaning.

The disease caused by the coronavirus, first detected in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. It primarily affects the lungs.

Health experts use a line on a chart to show the number of new coronavirus cases. If many people get the virus in a short period of time, the line can rise sharply and look a bit like a mountain. However, taking steps to reduce infections can spread cases over a longer period and means the ‘curve’ is flatter. This makes it easier for healthcare systems to cope.

Restrictions on movement or daily life, where public buildings are closed and people are asked to stay at home. Lockdowns have been imposed in several countries as part of drastic efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

An epidemic of serious diseases that is spreading rapidly in many countries at once.

Stay indoors and avoid all contact with other people to prevent the spread of disease.

Keeping away from other people to slow down the transmission of a disease. The government advises not seeing friends or relatives other than those you live with, working from home if possible and avoiding public transport.

A tiny agent that replicates itself in the living cells of every organism. Viruses can kill these cells and disrupt the body’s normal chemical processes, causing disease.