Pandemic Vs. Epidemic

Epidemic and pandemic are similar terms that refer to the spread of infectious diseases among a population.

Pandemic:

The term "pandemic" normally is used to indicate a far higher number of people affected than an epidemic."Pandemic" also refers to a much larger region being affected.
In a pandemic, the rate of infection grows exponentially which means the rate grows very fast. In the most extreme case, the entire global population would be affected by a pandemic.

Epidemic:

An epidemic is defined as an illness or health-related issue that is showing up in more cases than would normally be expected. And the concentration remains localized in a few cities.

Subtle Differences

If people throughout a country are affected but the rate of incidence is not high enough, it still would be considered an epidemic. Conversely, a disease that affects a very high percentage of a small population in a large area — such as a remote area Africa — might be called a pandemic. A pandemic might be regionally localized if it involves more cases than a simple epidemic, and an epidemic might be widespread if not enough of the population is affected to term it a pandemic.

These subtle but significant differences in how the terms epidemic and pandemic are used might be confusing, but in most cases, epidemics turn into pandemics by growing exponentially because of the nature of the disease. Pandemics typically are seen as more serious situations. The term "epidemic" might also be used to refer to the spread of things other than diseases, such as problems like drug use or even metaphorically to refer to innocuous happenings. It is unlikely for "pandemic" to be used in this sense, however.


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Vivien