I think this is correct but haven't been able to find an official definition beyond the dictionary and wikipedia so far... If you find something reliable please can you drop in replies?
Dunno what be "official"; some United States statutory definition? I have a copy of Webster's Third New International Dictionary, copyright 1966, and looked it up there. Does the definition change every year or so as some commenters suggest?
I actually lost this debate to someone on my fakebook timeline whom I am used to crushing in most cases. Yes, some definitions got weaker, although it seems the wayback machine is jamming the word pandemic now so I don't have links to compare them, but the wording is in the conversation we had. Here's my friends response, a little over two years ago.
You claim that this is totalitarian takeover disguised as pandemic response, claiming it to be a planned event being orchestrated through changed definitions and reporting standards, starting with the dramatically altered definition of the word “pandemic”. And offer as evidence of this frivolous accusation, evidence that Merriam Webster’s definition for pandemic had changed from:
“occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population”
to
“occurring over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affecting a significant proportion of the population”
In the past 2 decades, many modern medical texts have NOT even defined the term “pandemic”. Even authoritative texts about pandemics do NOT list it in their indexes, including such resources as comprehensive histories of medicine, classic epidemiology textbooks, the Institute of Medicine’s influential 1992 report on emerging infections, and acclaimed works about pandemics.
As such there is no single accepted definition of the term “pandemic”. So how is it even possible to claim that there has been a deliberate change in a definition that doesn’t even exist in the first place? And more to the point there has never been a consensus as to what the term “pandemic” even means.
As noted below, in several random samplings, you will find various definitions:
1. “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people.”
The International Epidemiology Association’s Dictionary of Epidemiology
2. “pandemic, outbreak of infectious disease that occurs over a wide geographical area and that is of high prevalence, generally affecting a significant proportion of the world’s population, usually over the course of several months.”
Encyclopedia Brittanica
3. “ Medical Definition of pandemic: occurring over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affecting a significant proportion of the population”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
4. “an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world.”
English Language Learners Definition of pandemic
5. “A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, usually affecting people on a worldwide scale”
Porta, Miquel, ed. (2008). Dictionary of Epidemiology. Oxford University Press. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-19-531449-6. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
6. Pandemic medical definition
“(of a disease) existing in almost all of an area or in almost all of a group of people, animals, or plants:”
Cambridge dictionary
7. "an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people"
Last JM, editor.
A dictionary of epidemiology, 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001.
8. “An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world due to a susceptible population. By definition, a true pandemic causes a high degree of mortality (death)”
Medterms medical dictionary a-z list Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
9. “A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease over a whole country or the world at a particular time.”
Oxford English and Spanish Dictionary
10. “A pandemic is an occurrence of a disease that affects many people over a very wide area.”
Collins English Dictionary
11. “an occurrence of a disease that affects many people across a whole country or the whole world”
Macmillan dictionary
You had claimed that the Webster definition was made “much less rigorous”, with two different changes. First, the number of people affected plummeted from “an exceptionally high proportion of the population” down to simply “a significant proportion of the population”. Worse yet, you claim they also inserted the word “typically”, a very vague word making it clear that a pandemic may not even reach this greatly lowered threshold.
And within these random definitions you will find NO two that are the same, as well as the use of what you referred to as “vague” words such as “usually”, “generally”, “typically” and “many”:
1. “USUALLY affecting a large number of people”
2. “GENERALLY affecting a SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION of the world’s population”
3. “TYPICALLY affecting a SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION of the population”
4. “and affects a large number of people”
5. “USUALLY affecting people on a worldwide scale”
6. " in almost all of a group of people, animals, or plants:”
7. “USUALLY affecting a large number of people”
8. “becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world”
9. “widespread occurrence of an infectious disease over a whole country or the world”
10. “a disease that affects MANY people over a very wide area.”
11. “an occurrence of a disease that affects MANY people across a whole country or the whole world”
What do we find to be consistent between these eleven random definitions? That a pandemic is generally defined as an infectious disease that is world wide. THAT, as I had noted, had NOT changed as a result of the edits made by Merriam Webster.
1. “an EPIDEMIC occurring WORLDWIDE”
2. “pandemic, outbreak of infectious disease that occurs over A WIDE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA”
3. “occurring over A WIDE GEOGRAPHIC AREA”
4. “an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over A WIDE AREA OR THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.”
5. “A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES”
6. “(of a disease) existing in almost ALL OF AN AREA or in almost all of a group of people, animals, or plants:”
7. "an epidemic occurring WORLDWIDE, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries”
8. “An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, OR THE WORLD”
9. “A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease OVER A WHOLE COUNTRY OR THE WORLD”
10. “A pandemic is an occurrence of a disease that affects MANY PEOPLE OVER A VERY WIDE AREA.”
11. “an occurrence of a disease that affects many people across A WHOLE COUNTRY OR THE WHOLE WORLD”
In regards to your second accusation that the definition used by Merriam-Webster deliberately included “vague” words, we find the SAME “vague” words being used in seven of the above definitions LONG before Merriam-Webster’s definition was altered. Words such as:
1. “usually”
2. “generally” “significant” “usually”
3. “typically”
4. “large number”
5. “usually”
6. “almost”
7. “usually” “large number”
Your argument that ONE minuscule change made by Merriam-Webster was of any consequence, is total bullshit and does NOT support the accusation you have made. Claiming ONE example of a definition change to be sufficient evidence to support your accusations, you are once again showing how delusional you can be at times.
Absolutely!!!! It was the greed of the Hospital CEO’s, CFO’s & CMO’s that gave the kill orders to the time clock punching doctors and nurses! The Medical Industrial Complex!
There never was a pandemic..
1. They changed definition of pandemic shortly before
2 .
The people were killed by medical malpractice because they withheld early treatment
3. Covid was easily treatable & Drs who treated early had close to 💯
4. The rest followed BAD orders & killed their patients
It was a pandemic. Lethality was not part of the definition in 1966.
I think this is correct but haven't been able to find an official definition beyond the dictionary and wikipedia so far... If you find something reliable please can you drop in replies?
Dunno what be "official"; some United States statutory definition? I have a copy of Webster's Third New International Dictionary, copyright 1966, and looked it up there. Does the definition change every year or so as some commenters suggest?
Can you show me a solid reference for "they changed the definition of pandemic shortly before"?
Wikipedia goes back to 2003
I actually lost this debate to someone on my fakebook timeline whom I am used to crushing in most cases. Yes, some definitions got weaker, although it seems the wayback machine is jamming the word pandemic now so I don't have links to compare them, but the wording is in the conversation we had. Here's my friends response, a little over two years ago.
You claim that this is totalitarian takeover disguised as pandemic response, claiming it to be a planned event being orchestrated through changed definitions and reporting standards, starting with the dramatically altered definition of the word “pandemic”. And offer as evidence of this frivolous accusation, evidence that Merriam Webster’s definition for pandemic had changed from:
“occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population”
to
“occurring over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affecting a significant proportion of the population”
In the past 2 decades, many modern medical texts have NOT even defined the term “pandemic”. Even authoritative texts about pandemics do NOT list it in their indexes, including such resources as comprehensive histories of medicine, classic epidemiology textbooks, the Institute of Medicine’s influential 1992 report on emerging infections, and acclaimed works about pandemics.
As such there is no single accepted definition of the term “pandemic”. So how is it even possible to claim that there has been a deliberate change in a definition that doesn’t even exist in the first place? And more to the point there has never been a consensus as to what the term “pandemic” even means.
As noted below, in several random samplings, you will find various definitions:
1. “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people.”
The International Epidemiology Association’s Dictionary of Epidemiology
2. “pandemic, outbreak of infectious disease that occurs over a wide geographical area and that is of high prevalence, generally affecting a significant proportion of the world’s population, usually over the course of several months.”
Encyclopedia Brittanica
3. “ Medical Definition of pandemic: occurring over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affecting a significant proportion of the population”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
4. “an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world.”
English Language Learners Definition of pandemic
5. “A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, usually affecting people on a worldwide scale”
Porta, Miquel, ed. (2008). Dictionary of Epidemiology. Oxford University Press. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-19-531449-6. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
6. Pandemic medical definition
“(of a disease) existing in almost all of an area or in almost all of a group of people, animals, or plants:”
Cambridge dictionary
7. "an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people"
Last JM, editor.
A dictionary of epidemiology, 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001.
8. “An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world due to a susceptible population. By definition, a true pandemic causes a high degree of mortality (death)”
Medterms medical dictionary a-z list Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
9. “A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease over a whole country or the world at a particular time.”
Oxford English and Spanish Dictionary
10. “A pandemic is an occurrence of a disease that affects many people over a very wide area.”
Collins English Dictionary
11. “an occurrence of a disease that affects many people across a whole country or the whole world”
Macmillan dictionary
You had claimed that the Webster definition was made “much less rigorous”, with two different changes. First, the number of people affected plummeted from “an exceptionally high proportion of the population” down to simply “a significant proportion of the population”. Worse yet, you claim they also inserted the word “typically”, a very vague word making it clear that a pandemic may not even reach this greatly lowered threshold.
And within these random definitions you will find NO two that are the same, as well as the use of what you referred to as “vague” words such as “usually”, “generally”, “typically” and “many”:
1. “USUALLY affecting a large number of people”
2. “GENERALLY affecting a SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION of the world’s population”
3. “TYPICALLY affecting a SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION of the population”
4. “and affects a large number of people”
5. “USUALLY affecting people on a worldwide scale”
6. " in almost all of a group of people, animals, or plants:”
7. “USUALLY affecting a large number of people”
8. “becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world”
9. “widespread occurrence of an infectious disease over a whole country or the world”
10. “a disease that affects MANY people over a very wide area.”
11. “an occurrence of a disease that affects MANY people across a whole country or the whole world”
What do we find to be consistent between these eleven random definitions? That a pandemic is generally defined as an infectious disease that is world wide. THAT, as I had noted, had NOT changed as a result of the edits made by Merriam Webster.
1. “an EPIDEMIC occurring WORLDWIDE”
2. “pandemic, outbreak of infectious disease that occurs over A WIDE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA”
3. “occurring over A WIDE GEOGRAPHIC AREA”
4. “an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over A WIDE AREA OR THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.”
5. “A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES”
6. “(of a disease) existing in almost ALL OF AN AREA or in almost all of a group of people, animals, or plants:”
7. "an epidemic occurring WORLDWIDE, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries”
8. “An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, OR THE WORLD”
9. “A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease OVER A WHOLE COUNTRY OR THE WORLD”
10. “A pandemic is an occurrence of a disease that affects MANY PEOPLE OVER A VERY WIDE AREA.”
11. “an occurrence of a disease that affects many people across A WHOLE COUNTRY OR THE WHOLE WORLD”
In regards to your second accusation that the definition used by Merriam-Webster deliberately included “vague” words, we find the SAME “vague” words being used in seven of the above definitions LONG before Merriam-Webster’s definition was altered. Words such as:
1. “usually”
2. “generally” “significant” “usually”
3. “typically”
4. “large number”
5. “usually”
6. “almost”
7. “usually” “large number”
Your argument that ONE minuscule change made by Merriam-Webster was of any consequence, is total bullshit and does NOT support the accusation you have made. Claiming ONE example of a definition change to be sufficient evidence to support your accusations, you are once again showing how delusional you can be at times.
Absolutely!!!! It was the greed of the Hospital CEO’s, CFO’s & CMO’s that gave the kill orders to the time clock punching doctors and nurses! The Medical Industrial Complex!