Pandemic or Panzootic—A Reflection on Terminology for SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract

As of October 2022, a total of 675 natural outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 infection have occurred in animal species worldwide. Here, we provide a linguistic and etymologic critique of the term “pandemic” being used to describe the COVID-19 health crisis, as opposed to the term “panzootic,” and discuss policy ramifications of more inclusive terminology.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
• viruses
• respiratory infections
• zoonoses