The outbreak of coronavirus across the globe has now been declared a pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon - saying 'is not a word to use lightly or carelessly'.
So far coronavirus has infected more than 118,000 people in 114 countries, and led to 4,291 deaths.
Six people have died in the UK.
However a pandemic is different from an outbreak of an infectious disease.
It originates from the Greek word pan (meaning all) and demos (people).
The term is used by epidemiologists when epidemics are growing in various countries and continents at the same time.
The word refers to the spread of the disease and not its deadliness.
A disease also has to be infectious in order to qualify for pandemic status.
It means a new infectious disease is spreading easily from person to person in many different parts of the world.
An epidemic is an event where a disease is actively spreading, usually limited to one country or location.
A pandemic elevates it when there is a sudden increase in the number of cases above and beyond what is normally expected.
A pandemic means a worldwide spread of a new disease.
The swine flu outbreak in 2009 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation and killed hundreds of thousands of people.
Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.
“Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this coronavirus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.”
He added: “We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled at the same time. WHO has been in full response mode since we were notified of the first cases.
“We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear.”
The WHO declaring a pandemic could have major consequences.
This could include "full mobilisation of health systems, facilities and workers at national and subnational levels" to distribute personal protective equipment, antiviral medication and other supplies in accordance with national plans.
