Epidemiology Jargon

adjective describing a state of being affected by a disease or having a disease

• The doctor diagnosed the patient with a rare and highly contagious diseased.
• I heard that stray cats in the neighborhood are spreading a diseased virus.
• Don't touch that trash, it looks diseased!
• The company's financial situation was like a diseased tree, slowly deteriorating.

noun a serious tropical disease spread by mosquitoes and causing fever and severe joint and muscle pain

• Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
• My friend got really sick while traveling in Africa and was diagnosed with malaria.
• I heard that getting malaria is like getting hit by a ton of bricks.
• The spread of misinformation can be like a malaria, infecting minds and causing harm.

adjective describing something related to or characteristic of malaria

• The patient was diagnosed with a severe case of malarial infection.
• I heard that Tom got really sick with malarial fever after his trip to Africa.
• I need to take some meds for this malarial thing I picked up in the jungle.
• The corruption in that government is like a malarial disease, spreading and infecting everything it touches.

noun a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as a disease or conflict

• The health department is closely monitoring the outbreak of a new virus in the community.
• Did you hear about the outbreak of flu going around at school?
• The outbreak of drama on social media is getting out of hand.
• The outbreak of laughter during the comedy show was contagious.

noun the recurrence or outbreak of a disease, or the revival of a bad situation

• The recrudescence of the disease has raised concerns among public health officials.
• The recrudescence of drama between those two is exhausting to watch.
• I can't believe the recrudescence of that trend from the 90s.
• The recrudescence of memories flooded her mind as she walked through the old neighborhood.

adjective Occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated.

• The company experienced sporadic growth throughout the year.
• The WiFi signal is sporadic in this area.
• Her attendance at the meetings has been sporadic at best.
• His interest in the project was sporadic, coming and going unpredictably.

noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun

• The patient's symptoms may be exacerbated by an underlying condition.
• The reason you keep feeling sick might be because of an underlying condition.
• Dude, your constant fatigue could be due to some underlying condition.
• Just like a hidden iceberg, an underlying condition can cause serious health issues if left untreated.

noun a type of virus that causes respiratory illness in humans and animals, including the common cold and more severe diseases such as SARS and COVID-19

• The coronavirus pandemic has greatly impacted the global economy.
• I heard the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in our city.
• Did you hear about the new strain of corona going around?
• The coronavirus outbreak is like a dark cloud hanging over us.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• An acute disease is characterized by a sudden onset and short duration.
• When you have an acute disease, it hits you out of nowhere and doesn't last long.
• Getting an acute disease is like catching a quick bug that goes away fast.
• Dealing with that problem was like facing an acute disease - intense but temporary.