The Hindu Editorial (A better test) – Aug 18, 2020

On August 15, six and a half months after the first novel coronavirus case was reported in the country,… For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (A better test) – Aug 18, 2020.

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Today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (A better test) – Aug 18, 2020:

saliva (noun) – watery liquid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth.
saliva test (noun) – this test uses a new method of processing saliva samples for testing coronavirus infection. The test, called SalivaDirect, has high sensitivity. SalivaDirect is simpler, less expensive, and less invasive than the traditional method for such testing, known as nasopharyngeal (NP) swabbing.
coronavirus (CoV) (noun) – a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. (Courtesy: WHO)
novel coronavirus (nCoV) (SARS-CoV-2) (noun) – a new strain (type/variety) coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. (Courtesy: WHO)
grim (adjective) – terrible, awful, dreadful, horrible, frightful.
milestone (noun) – critical point, significant stage, turning point.
stand at (verb) – be at a particular level.
toll (noun) – number, count, sum total (of deaths/casualties).
for instance (phrase) – as an example.
suspect (adjective) – suspicious, dubious, untrustworthy, questionable, doubtful.
pandemic (noun) – the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.
pandemic-defying (adjective) – relating to the tendency of defying/refusing the (community) spread of a infectious disease.
stark (adjective) – clear, distinct, evident, obvious; utter, complete, absolute, total.
in contrast to (phrase) – in opposition to, be very different from.
mortality (noun) – (in a particular time/for a cause) the rate/number of death.
under-reporting (noun) – an act of reporting less than actual (data).
notwithstanding (adverb) – nevertheless, nonetheless; in spite of, despite, regardless of.
unlikely (adjective) – not likely, improbable, questionable.
several-fold (adjective) – several times (as great/higher/large).
case fatality rate/ratio (noun) – in epidemiology, the proportion of people who die from a particular disease compared to all individuals diagnosed with the disease over a certain period of time.
dip (noun) – decrease, fall/drop, reduction.
asymptomatic (adjective) – relating to a condition/person with no symptoms.
symptomatic (adjective) – relating to a condition/person with symptoms.
pre-symptomatic (adjective) – relating to a condition/person with mild illness/symptoms.
antigen (noun) – disease causing organisms (bacteria & viruses) and other harmful/toxic foreign substances like insect venom that induce an immune response in the body.
rapid antigen test (RCT) (noun) – It is a test on swabbed nasal samples that detects antigens (foreign substances that induce an immune response in the body) that are found on or within the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is a point-of-care test, performed outside the conventional laboratory setting, and is used to quickly obtain a diagnostic result. In a reliable rapid antigen detection test, the maximum duration for interpreting a positive or negative test is 30 minutes.
RT-PCR testing (noun) – Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Testing; it is one of the most accurate laboratory methods for detecting, tracking, and studying the coronavirus. It is a nuclear-derived method for detecting the presence of specific genetic material from any pathogen, including a virus. (pathogen is a bacteria/virus that causes disease).
witness (verb) – see, observe, view, notice.
strained (adjective) – tired, exhausted, fatigued, stressed, overtaxed, pressurized.
surge (noun) – sudden increase, rise, growth.
shortcoming (noun) – fault, flaw, imperfection/defect.
sensitivity (noun) – In medical diagnosis, test sensitivity is the ability of a test to correctly identify those with the disease (true positive rate).
(laboratory-based) molecular test (noun) – In medicine, a laboratory test that checks for certain molecules in a sample of tissue, blood, or other body fluid.
rely on (phrasal verb) – depend on, count on, bank on.
constraint (noun) – restriction, limitation, restraint.
embrace (verb) – welcome, accept, adapt, take up.
authorisation (noun) – permission, consent, approval, clearance.
non-invasive (adjective) – (of medical procedures) not involving medical tools that break the skin or physically enter the body.
facilitate (verb) – make easy, make possible; assist, help/aid.
validation (noun) – the action of declaring something is officially acceptable.
in lieu of (phrase) – instead of, as an alternative, as a substitute.