What is an Endemic?

As COVID-19 creeps towards its one-year anniversary to quarantine in America, let’s talk about a new word that has been introduced to news outlets: endemic. COVID-19 was actually stated as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Now, almost a year later, scientists have been fearing this pandemic will soon turn into an endemic. Let’s dive into what that means and how it came to be that progressive. 

Let’s first take a look at what a pandemic is defined as. The CDC reports a pandemic as “an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people. Epidemics occur when an agent and susceptible hosts are present in adequate numbers, and the agent can be effectively conveyed from a source to the susceptible hosts.” Breaking that down, it means that a pandemic refers to a certain disease or virus that was centralized in cities or districts that has spread over several countries or regions. With that being said, an endemic is referred to by the CDC as “ the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area.” In a nutshell, an endemic means a disease that occurs in a certain group of people such as the common cold or malaria in certain regions of Africa. 

As a citizen in the country with the highest confirmed cases of COVID-19, what COVID-19 becoming an endemic means for any citizen in a high-level case country is important to understand. Although vaccines have been distributed as fast as possible, it is still slower than the rate the virus spreads. Additionally, low-income countries and third-world countries struggle with obtaining vaccines compared to America. Even though the efforts are there, scientists are starting to look at COVID-19 from the perspective of an endemic virus. It is a possibility that this virus can become one, but nothing has been confirmed yet. CNBC reports that top scientists believe that the virus may never go away, that we can be looking at a short/long term endemic. 

Nevertheless, it is a reminder to follow the news and safety guidelines as much as possible. Double masking when going outside, sanitizing, and minimal contact outside of your immediate household is the safest way to continue with this virus in the air. Make sure to practice social distancing and the correct protocols of the community you live in. The foreshadowing of the endemic is only a precaution to the public as of this moment, regardless, COVID-19 is very dangerous to anyone’s health. Staying safe should be the main priority and hopefully, we can distribute those vaccines for the wellbeing of all populations. 

• 2021
• COVID-19
• pandemic
• solutions
• vaccine
• virus