COVID-19 Vocabulary With so much talk about COVID-19 these days, I thought a short list of terminology might be useful to those who are learning English and trying to make sense of this disease.. Border - (bawr-der) The line that separates one country, state, province, etc., from another; frontier line: All borders have been closed in Europe to avoid the spread of the virus from country to country. Contaminated – (Kuhn- tam - uh - nate-id) To make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc. If an area is contaminated it means someone who has the virus went into that area and spread it there. Curfew – (Kur – fyoo) An order establishing a specific time in the evening after which certain regulations apply, especially that no civilians or other specified group of unauthorized persons may be outdoors or that places of public assembly must be closed. The government has set an 8 o’clock curfew in the city. Fever – (fee – ver) An abnormally high body temperature. Those with high fevers should go to their doctors immediately to test for the virus. Hand Sanitiser - (san – i – tahy – zer) A substance or preparation for killing germs, designed for use especially on your hands. Use hand sanitizer when you are in public places and cannot wash your hands with soap and water. Infected – (in – fekt – id) To affect or contaminate (a person, organ, wound, etc.) with disease-producing germs. Many people have been infected with the virus. Lockdown - (lok-doun) A security measure taken during an emergency to prevent people from leaving or entering a building. Many major cities are in lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. Families may not leave their houses. Pandemic – (Pan-dem-ik) (Of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country,continent, or the whole world; spread over a large area. The virus has become a pandemic because it has affected many countries across the world. Quarantine – (kwawr-uh n-teen ) - A strict isolation imposed to prevent the spread of disease. - A system of measures maintained by governmental authority at ports, frontiers, etc., for preventing the spread of disease. I arrived at the airport and was quarantined for 2 weeks because I had came from Italy. I couldn’t see my family and I was all alone. Social-distancing – (soh-shuh l - dis-tuhns-ing) Avoiding social gatherings such as barbeques with family and friends, going to restaurants, working in an office, going to festivals, the cinema, concert.