Coronavirus Glossary: Every COVID-19 Related Term You Need To Know

id="article-body" class="row" section="article-body">



















Coronavirus has given us new words to live by.

Angela Lang/CNET



For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the [ WHO website].

The [ coronavirus pandemic] is putting words in the mouths of billions of people worldwide. Ventilator, kynghidongduong.vn BiPap, face coverings, homemade masks, PPE. These words are quickly becoming part of our daily terminology as the [/news/coronavirus-explained-all-your-questions-about-covid-19-answered/ disease COVID-19], which has now [ killed more than 74,000 people] around the globe, continues to spread.
Educating yourself on the science and the social responses will help you understand the situation and help explain it to others. If you know them all, well done on being so thoroughly informed. If not, this guide will help you brush up on the ever-changing lexicon you need to get along in a coronavirus world. We'll continue to update this story as our social response to the virus evolves. 



























Now playing:
Watch this:

Coronavirus lockdown: Why social distancing saves lives






5:41








CNET Coronavirus Update




Keep track of the coronavirus pandemic.




Novel coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2
No, the virus known to have infected over 400,000 people isn't actually named "coronavirus." The word refers to any in a family of viruses whose structure [/news/coronavirus-pandemic-all-your-questions-answered-about-covid-19/ presents crownlike spikes when seen under a microscope]. The term "novel coronavirus" is a general term for the current type we're fighting. It became a fixture before the virus was given an official name: [/news/coronavirus-disease-gets-an-official-name-covid-19/ SARS-CoV-2].
COVID-19
You may be tempted to use COVID-19 as a synonym for coronavirus, but that will confuse matters. [/news/coronavirus-pandemic-all-your-questions-answered-about-covid-19/ COVID-19 is the name of the disease] that the novel coronavirus causes. It stands for "coronavirus disease 2019."

The disease brings on flulike symptoms, phượng hoàng cổ trấn but dangerously affects the lungs by filling them with fluid at a rapid rate. Patients with extreme cases may need respirators and oxygen to help them breathe, often for weeks. The fear is that [/news/coronavirus-pandemic-all-your-questions-answered-about-covid-19/ fatalities will occur] when patient need for ventilators outstrips the supply.

N95 respirator phượng hoàng cổ trấn masks are effective at blocking the transmission of coronavirus, but currently in short supply.

Photo by Nora Tam/South China Morning Post via Getty Images
Nonmedical masks and face coverings
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US authority on health policy related to infectious diseases, has issued a recommendation for people to [/how-to/will-homemade-face-masks-keep-you-from-getting-sick-with-coronavirus-what-to-know/ voluntarily wear face coverings in public] when staying six feet from others outside your household is not an option.

The key takeaway is that the material you're using to cover your nose and mouth is not a medical-grade mask needed by public health care workers. Face coverings can be made in a number of styles from materials like cotton, a laundered t-shirt or a bandana. Here's everything you need to know about [/how-to/will-homemade-face-masks-keep-you-from-getting-sick-with-coronavirus-what-to-know/ coronavirus prevention and homemade masks], and a resource guide on [/health/want-to-make-a-face-mask-to-help-protect-against-the-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/ how to make your own face covering or mask].
N95 and surgical face masks
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, and coronavirus spreads through vaporized droplets. [/news/which-face-masks-protect-against-coronavirus/ N95 respirator masks] are the type most proven to protect you from acquiring SARS-CoV-2. Other varieties, including surgical masks and homemade, are not proven to be effective at blocking the smallest particles that could carry the virus, which can [/news/coronavirus-and-covid-19-all-your-questions-answered/ remain in the air for up to 30 minutes]. 

Homemade coverings (above) are regarded as effective at protecting other people from large droplets ejected through coughing and sneezing. If you have N95 or surgical masks at home, the medical community is [/news/where-to-donate-medical-supplies-help-restaurants-and-people-in-need/ asking for donations to help curb the shortage] of masks.



























Now playing:
Watch this:

The ventilator shortage, explained






4:33




Ventilators
A ventilator is a machine that helps a person breathe by expanding their lungs and supplying them with oxygen when it's too difficult to do so on their own. As the COVID-19 disease hospitalizes tens of thousands of people around the world, ventilators are critically low, and doctors are increasingly forced to decide which patients will receive their aid, and which will not. This is why [/news/coronavirus-ventilators-why-one-machine-is-pivotal-in-the-battle-against-covid-19/ ventilators are pivotal in the battle against COVID-19].
BiPap machine
A [ BiPap machine] is a type of ventilator that some hospitals are using, or considering using, to help COVID-19 patients breathe. BiPap is short for bilevel positive airway pressure, and is similar to CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure. These machines are commonly used for conditions like obstructive sleep apnea and pneumonia. If effective, they could potentially be used to treat more patients in need of ventilator support.