Virology Glossary

noun a substance that is recognized by the immune system and triggers an immune response

• The antigen is a substance that triggers an immune response in the body.
• Hey, did you know that an antigen is like a red flag for your immune system?
• That antigen thing is like a little troublemaker for your body's defenses.
• Just like a spy, the antigen sneaks into the body and causes a commotion.

noun a benign tumor of the skin or mucous membrane, typically in the form of a wart

• A papilloma is a benign tumor that grows on the surface of the skin or mucous membranes.
• My aunt had a papilloma removed from her arm last week.
• I heard that weird bump on his neck turned out to be a papilloma.
• The corruption in the system can be likened to a papilloma, slowly growing and causing harm.

noun HPIV - stands for Human Parainfluenza Virus, a type of virus that causes respiratory infections in humans.

• The patient was diagnosed with HPIV, a common respiratory virus.
• I heard that HPIV is going around the school, so make sure to wash your hands frequently.
• My sister caught HPIV and was out sick for a week.
• The spread of misinformation is like a virus, similar to how HPIV can quickly affect a community.

noun a shortened form of novel coronavirus, referring to a type of virus

• The rapid spread of nCoV has raised concerns among public health officials.
• Have you heard about the latest cases of nCoV in our city?
• I'm so over this whole nCoV situation, it's ruining everything.
• The fear of nCoV is spreading faster than the virus itself.