Patient Zero

Pronunciation: /ˈpeɪʃənt ˈzɪroʊ/

Definitions of patient zero

noun a person identified as the first to become infected with a disease in an outbreak

Example Sentences

A1 Patient zero is the first person to get sick in an outbreak.

A2 The scientists are trying to find patient zero to understand how the disease started.

B1 Identifying patient zero is crucial in preventing the spread of a new virus.

B2 Patient zero is often the key to tracing the origins of a pandemic.

C1 Patient zero's actions can have a significant impact on the course of an epidemic.

C2 The search for patient zero can be a complex and challenging task for epidemiologists.

Examples of patient zero in a Sentence

formal The epidemiologists were trying to trace back to patient zero to understand how the virus spread.

informal They're saying patient zero was actually someone who attended the concert last week.

slang I heard patient zero was patient X's roommate who never washes his hands.

figurative In the world of fashion, patient zero is often considered the trendsetter who influences others to follow suit.

Grammatical Forms of patient zero

• past tense: was patient zero
• plural: patients zero
• comparative: more patient zero
• superlative: most patient zero
• present tense: is patient zero
• future tense: will be patient zero
• perfect tense: has been patient zero
• continuous tense: is being patient zero
• singular: patient zero
• positive degree: patient zero
• infinitive: to be patient zero
• gerund: being patient zero
• participle: being patient zero

Origin and Evolution of patient zero

First Known Use: 1984 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The term 'patient zero' originated in the field of epidemiology to refer to the initial case of a disease outbreak.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of tracing the spread of diseases, 'patient zero' has evolved to also refer to an individual who is the first to exhibit a particular behavior or characteristic in a group.