The language of the Corona Virus

[Taytocrisps]

Anyone else interested in the words and phrases we're using at the moment? Not new words but words that have taken on an added significance and, for me, will always be synonymous with Covid-19.

Lockdown
Social distancing
Cocooning
Pandemic
Epidemiologist

I'm sure there's lots more.

My teenager says 'Corona!' about anything that might be a bit germy (eg her brother)

Isolating
Zoom-fatigue
Joe Wicks
Vulnerable
Intubating
Oak National

I find it interesting that we call it lockdown, but in the US people staying it home refer to it as quarantine or sheltering in place. I think the latter term is perhaps used in hurricane/natural disaster situations and they have adapted it for this.
Just guessing from what I've read though, would be interesting to hear from US-based MNers on this.

Following the science

Synchronous and asynchronous (lessons online)
When we started lockdown lessons (it's quarantena here rather than lockdown) the school gave us these "sincrone" and "asincrone" hours, and I was "wtf us this all about then".

Patient zero.
Superspreader.

New normal
Furloughing - whenever I had heard it before it was never a verb and always in the context of a break in some sort of voluntary service.

at home

New normal.

I agree that the lexicon of the situation is extremely interesting. I’d be interested to compare the differences between other languages so hearing the terms used in other countries is intriguing.
Ds has a currently reading a book about the language of culture (or the culture of language!) that discusses how language can influence culture and vice versa so a moment in history where new words and phrases are brought into common usage is fascinating.

I have a friend who works in a care home. In January she mentioned PPE in passing and I asked her what it meant!! Imagine!

These are the words I'm fed up of :

Shielding
Unprecedented
Lockdown
Civil liberties
Covidiots
R value
Epidemiologists
Granular
Bojo
Sanitise
Social distancing
Self isolation (I hate this in particular)
Breaking news
Testing
Furloughed
Essential
Keyworkers
Homeschool
Wfh
Delivery slot
Zoom
Skype

Covidiots.

2metres

Happy Birthday

That sounds like an interesting book Crikeyblimey, do you know what the title is?

Oh I forgot the main one 'science' as in 'we will do what the science tells us to'

At the start of it all my 5 year old came home from school saying he had learned Vampire coughs, ie into the crook of the arm. He demo'd in sweeping up his arm like Dracula with his cloak

Coronavirus Science is a very strange sort of science. It's a movable feast but the politicians never seem to notice.

7days it is Through the Language Glass
www.amazon.co.uk/Through-Language-Glass-Different-Languages/dp/0099505576/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?hvlocphy=9046534&hvnetw=g&keywords=through+the+language+glass&hvadid=318099528414&qid=1589836789&dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8_DStau-6QIVVOvtCh10lwGYEAAYASAAEgLpBPD_BwE&hydadcr=4139_1795525&hvdev=m&hvqmt=e&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=kwd-301573635735&adgrpid=65157557924&hvrand=6826157493990328651&sr=8-1
Apologies for the Amazon link.

I feel Corona is the nickname of the virus, and SARS-CoV-2 is the real name on its birth certificate and the one it writes on forms

Daily deaths
Stay alert
Reopening
Distancing

Easing

Forgot that one - hate it!

Loved ones.

Intubated really got me when I read it in a newspaper. I would not have known the meaning of that term 3 months ago and I doubt many lay people would have either but there it was just chucked in there.

Lag.

Shielding
Furloughed
Key workers
Lockdown
Socially distanced
PPE
masks
Suspecteds
Positives
Green zone
Red zone
Covid
Covid side
Clean side
Swab
Self isolating
Quarantining
Aerosolising
Deep cleaning
Ultraviolet cleaning

Social distancing measures

Home schooling has changed meaning
before Covid - parents deciding not to educate their children through school (sometimes less of a choice eg poor SEN provision) often outside and in groups
Covid - parents/children using resources sent from school they attend or normally home educators revamping without the home school groups and visits.

Thanks crikeyblimey I might splash out!

The only context I'd heard both 'lockdown' and 'furlough' in prior to this was in OITNB on Netflix.

Lockdown being when the prisoners had to throw themselves on the floor as an alarm sounded, I think? Or was it when they were confined to their cells? Or both?

And the context for furlough has already been discussed at length on another thread so i won't do so here.

I guess we 'gave' them Love Island so maybe it's a fair cultural exchange.

Social distancing sounds like an oxymoron to me. So counterintuitive I’m amazed it’s the best we could come up with.

Agree - and I hate that there appears to be a verb “to social distance”. It’s all kinds of wrong.