Several scientific and medical terms that have entered public discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic are now recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary.
Oxford added the new words — including "contact tracer," "corona" and "face covering" — in a July 15 update.
Oxford also updated the original definition of "COVID-19," which was first added in April as "an acute respiratory illness." The term is now defined as "an acute disease … characterized mainly by fever and cough" that is "capable of progressing to pneumonia, respiratory and renal failure, blood coagulation abnormalities, and death."
To see the full update, click here.
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