Science
What is a pandemic?
A pandemic is an outbreak of disease that spreads across multiple countries or continents, affecting large numbers of people. Unlike a local epidemic, a pandemic crosses borders worldwide — as seen with COVID-19 and historical flu outbreaks.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains a pandemic.
Key things to understand
- 1It's a disease outbreak that spans many countries or the globe.
- 2It differs from an epidemic, which is more localized.
- 3It needs a new or easily spread pathogen people lack immunity to.
- 4Global travel can spread it rapidly.
- 5Vaccines, distancing, and herd immunity help bring it under control.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic?
- An epidemic is a large outbreak in one area or region; a pandemic spreads across multiple countries or continents.
- What makes a disease become a pandemic?
- A pathogen that's new or easily transmitted, that people have little immunity to, and that spreads widely across borders.
- How do pandemics end?
- Through a mix of immunity built by infection and vaccines, behavior changes, and sometimes the pathogen becoming milder over time.