Medical and Health English Vocabulary: COVID-19, Diseases, and Healthcare
Created:February 19, 2022
4 min read
Table of Contents
COVID-19 and Infectious Disease Vocabulary
Transmission and Spread
Term
Definition
contagion
the spreading of disease through contact
contagious
easily spread from person to person
highly contagious
spreads very easily
transmit
to pass a disease from one person to another
contain
to prevent something from spreading
outbreak
a sudden occurrence of disease in a specific area
epidemic
a widespread disease in a community
pandemic
a disease that spreads across countries or worldwide
endemic
a disease regularly found in a particular area
Cases and Statistics
Term
Definition
confirmed cases
officially verified infections
new cases
recently diagnosed infections
death toll
total number of deaths
deaths / fatalities
people who have died
mortality
death, especially on a large scale
mortality rate
percentage of infected people who die
infection rate
how quickly a disease spreads
surge
a sudden large increase
rebound
a return or increase after a decrease
Prevention and Protection
Term
Definition
quarantine
isolation to prevent spread of disease
isolation
separating sick people from healthy ones
lockdown
restricting movement to control spread
social distancing
keeping physical space between people
medical masks
protective face coverings
protective suits
full-body protective clothing
safety goggles
protective eyewear
sanitizer / hand sanitizer
alcohol-based hand cleaning product
hygiene
practices that maintain health and cleanliness
vaccination
receiving a vaccine to build immunity
herd immunity
when enough people are immune to stop spread
Symptoms and Conditions
Term
Definition
symptom
a sign of illness experienced by the patient
asymptomatic
having no symptoms
mild / severe
describing intensity of symptoms
underlying health conditions
pre-existing medical problems
cardiovascular disease
heart and blood vessel disease
diabetes
condition affecting blood sugar regulation
hypertension
high blood pressure
chronic respiratory disease
long-term lung/breathing condition
immunocompromised
having a weakened immune system
Viruses and Pathogens
Term
Definition
virus (pl. viruses)
microscopic infectious agent
coronavirus
a family of viruses including COVID-19
mutate
to change genetically
variant
a version of a virus with genetic changes
strain
a specific genetic variety of a pathogen
pathogen
any organism that causes disease
germ
informal term for bacteria or virus
bacteria
single-celled microorganisms (some cause disease)
General Medical Vocabulary
Healthcare System
Term
Definition
physician / doctor
medical professional who treats patients
specialist
doctor with expertise in a specific area
surgeon
doctor who performs operations
nurse
healthcare professional who cares for patients
paramedic
emergency medical technician
pharmacist
professional who dispenses medications
diagnosis
identifying a disease from symptoms
prognosis
predicted outcome of a disease
treatment
medical care given to a patient
prescription
written order for medication
over-the-counter (OTC)
medication available without prescription
triage
prioritizing patients by severity
intensive care unit (ICU)
unit for critically ill patients
emergency room (ER)
department for urgent medical care
Procedures and Tests
Term
Definition
examination
physical check by a doctor
blood test
analysis of blood sample
X-ray
imaging using radiation
MRI
magnetic resonance imaging scan
CT scan
computed tomography scan
biopsy
removing tissue for examination
surgery / operation
medical procedure involving incision
anesthesia
medication to prevent pain during surgery
suture / stitch
thread used to close a wound
vaccination / immunization
injection to prevent disease
Medications
Term
Definition
antibiotic
medication that kills bacteria
antiviral
medication that fights viruses
analgesic / painkiller
medication that reduces pain
anti-inflammatory
medication that reduces inflammation
dosage
amount of medication to take
side effect
unintended effect of a medication
allergy
adverse reaction to a substance
contraindication
reason not to use a medication
Body Systems Vocabulary
System
Key Terms
Cardiovascular
heart, arteries, veins, blood pressure, pulse
Respiratory
lungs, bronchi, trachea, oxygen, breathing
Digestive
stomach, intestines, liver, digestion, metabolism
Nervous
brain, spinal cord, nerves, neurons, reflexes
Musculoskeletal
muscles, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments
Immune
antibodies, white blood cells, lymph nodes, immunity
Endocrine
hormones, glands, thyroid, insulin, metabolism
Epidemiology Terms
Term
Definition
epidemiology
study of disease patterns in populations
incubation period
time between infection and symptoms
R number (R0)
average number of people one infected person infects
contact tracing
identifying people exposed to an infected person
cluster
a group of cases in the same area/time
community spread
transmission without known source
superspreader
person who infects unusually many others
zoonotic disease
disease that spreads from animals to humans
Useful Medical Phrases
"I have a fever / headache / sore throat."
"I'm feeling under the weather." (mildly ill)
"I'm coming down with something." (getting sick)
"I need to see a doctor."
"I have an appointment with my GP." (general practitioner)
"I'm allergic to penicillin."
"I'm on medication for..."
"I have a pre-existing condition."
"The doctor prescribed antibiotics."
"I need to get a second opinion."
COVID-19 Specific Phrases
"tested positive / negative for COVID-19"
"in quarantine / self-isolating"
"fully vaccinated / boosted"
"wearing a mask / face covering"
"maintaining social distance"
"working from home / remote work"
"contact tracing"
"flattening the curve"
"herd immunity threshold"
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