community spread
[/kəˈmjuːnɪti sprɛd/]
nounpl: community spreads
transmissão comunitária
1. The transmission of a contagious disease within a community where the source of infection is unknown or cannot be traced to a specific individual or location
Health officials declared community spread of the virus after cases appeared in people with no travel history.
As autoridades de saúde declararam transmissão comunitária do vírus após casos surgirem em pessoas sem histórico de viagem.
2. A stage in disease outbreak progression where the disease is actively circulating among the general population
Once community spread begins, containment becomes much more difficult.
Uma vez que a transmissão comunitária começa, o controle torna-se muito mais difícil.
The term gained significant prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) when public health authorities in both the United States and Brazil used it to mark a critical shift in disease management strategy—moving from containment of imported cases to acceptance of local transmission and focus on mitigation measures. In Brazil, the term became part of everyday vocabulary during press briefings by health officials (Ministério da Saúde) and influenced public understanding of pandemic stages.
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