Through illness, community and national lockdowns, and economic downturn, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of millions of people worldwide. At Britannica we have been fielding questions about the pandemic from readers, and we’ve had a few questions of our own. Here are answers to some of our readers’ and our own questions about the COVID-19 pandemic.
A pandemic is an outbreak of infectious disease that occurs over a wide geographical area and that is of high prevalence. A pandemic generally affects a significant proportion of the world’s population, usually over the course of several months. Throughout history, humanity has survived several pandemics. While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to the past to help us understand our possible future.
Although it may feel like all the news is bad regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a few positive stories to share. For example, efforts to relieve hospitals’ shortages of masks, respirators, and other supplies have come from some of the most unlikely places.