How pandemics end - 6 Minute English

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In every situation people, including us, are chosing to bury their heads in the sand rather than facing the facts that it is almost a death sentence. Although, i have had lost many friends and relatives due to Covid-19 (may god mercy their souls) who were commited to Covid precautions as social distance, wearing gloves, masks...etc.
I hope the disease will be eradicated for good as human declared victory. I hope everyone still safe and get well for those who suffered from the disease.

Thank you for your help!!❤️

it's nice to hear Neil's voice again after so long

It would be better if you relate all the articles in the video because i cannot find them

Thanks for BBC program. This is the best channel that i knew more than ten years ago.

As usual, it is the best programme.

It ends when the ones who manufactured it say 'That's enough for now'.
Thats when it ends.

Don’t come Australia Australia is dirty racist country government Australia races Thomaston people this here you’re not safe don’t chemistry

Sam
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Sam.

Neil
And I’m Neil.

Sam
In March 2020, the World Health Organisation, the WHO, declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Now, after two and half years in the shadow of Covid, for many people travel restrictions are ending, and many people around the world are starting their lives again. But not everyone.

Neil
Whether it’s because of lockdowns and not seeing friends, or getting sick, even dying, everyone wants to see an end to the pandemic. But with cases of Covid infections still in the millions, and doctors warning about new variants of the disease, is the pandemic really coming to an end? In this programme, we’ll be finding out how pandemics end, and, as usual, we’ll be learning some related vocabulary as well.

Sam
Of course, pandemics are nothing new. Ancient texts are full of stories of plagues which spread death and disease before eventually going away. In the Middle Ages, The Black Death that killed over half of Europe’s population lasted for four years. It’s only with modern vaccines that diseases have been eradicated – completely ended. So, Neil, my question this week is: which disease was eradicated in 1977? Was it:
a)    cholera?
b)    polio? or
c)    smallpox?

Neil
I'm going to say c) smallpox.

Sam
OK, I’ll reveal the answer at the end of the program.

Neil
Of course, the idea that the pandemic might not be ending isn’t something people want to hear. Most people are sick of worrying about Covid and can’t wait for things to get back to normal. But as Yale University physician, Professor Nicholas Christakis, explained to BBC World Service programme, The Inquiry, it’s not just the biological disease that needs to end – pandemics have a social ending too.

Prof. Nicholas Christakis
Pandemics are not just a biological phenomenon, they’re also a social phenomenon, and they end socially. And one of the ways that they end socially is when everyone just sort of agrees that they have ended – when everyone is simply willing to tolerate more risk. On other words, we sort of declare victory, maybe prematurely, or another way of thinking about it is, we put our heads in the sand.

Sam
Biologically Covid still exists in the world and most of us would rather not catch it. But if you’re vaccinated, the risk of getting seriously ill is much lower, so it’s reasonable to make plans to resume normal life. When enough people do this, we declare victory – a phrase meaning to announce something to be finished before it actually is, but when it looks ‘good enough’.

Neil
The danger is that we declare victory prematurely – too soon, before it’s the best time to do so. Professor Christakis uses another idiom for this – to bury your head in the sand, meaning to deliberately refuse to accept the truth about something you find unpleasant.

Sam
It’s also true that pandemics do not end in the same way for everyone, everywhere. Rich western countries with the resources to vaccinate their populations are in a better position than most.

Neil
Professor Dora Vargha is an expert on the history of medicine. She compares the Covid pandemic to an ongoing disease for which we have no cure, and which has killed millions since its outbreak in the 1980s – HIV/Aids. Here is Professor Vargha speaking with BBC World Service’s, The Inquiry.

Prof Dora Vargha
What happens in the case of HIV/Aids is that it became from being an immediate death sentence basically to a manageable chronic disease… but that happens in societies that have the means and the infrastructure to make that possible with medication, and that is not necessarily true for all parts of the world, but we don’t think about the HIV/Aids pandemic as an ongoing pandemic.

Sam
Although HIV has no cure, modern medical drugs allow people to continue living with the disease for years. HIV is no longer a death sentence – a phrase meaning the punishment of death for committing a crime, or from an incurable disease.

Neil
Nowadays, HIV is no longer fatal. It has become a disease which can be controlled and is chronic, or long lasting. We no longer think of Aids as a pandemic, but that’s not true everywhere - only in countries which can provide the necessary medical drugs and support.

Sam
Finding the right balance of Covid restrictions for communities of people exhausted by the pandemic isn’t easy. Many scientists are warning that we haven’t yet reached the beginning of the end of Covid, but hopefully we’re at least reaching the end of the beginning.

Neil
Let’s finish the programme on a hopeful note by remembering that diseases can and do eventually end – like in your quiz question, Sam.

Sam
Yes, I asked which disease was eradicated in 1977. Neil said it was smallpox which was the correct answer! Well done, Neil! Smallpox no longer occurs naturally, but did you know that samples of smallpox do still exist, frozen in American and Soviet laboratories during the Cold War!

Neil
As if the thought that the Covid pandemic might never end isn’t scary enough! Right, let’s recap the vocabulary we’ve learnt starting with eradicate – to completely get rid of something, such as a disease.

Sam
If you declare victory, you announce something to be finished before it actually is. The danger is doing this is that you announce it prematurely, or too soon.

Neil
The idiom bury your head in the sand means to refuse to accept or look at a situation you don’t like.

Sam
A death sentence means the punishment of death for committing a crime, or from an incurable disease.

Neil
And finally, a chronic disease is one which lasts for a long time. Even though the pandemic hasn’t ended, our programme has because our six minutes are up. Bye for now!

Sam
Bye!

Sending love and blessings to the entire team members.

Thanks

where is subtitle???

Thank BBC for useful video.
Gernerally, people live their life normally. However, there are still lots of cases of Covid that are existing. Hopefully, the pandemic is ended properly.

I think BBC Learing English is one of the best progressive learing methodology especially for listening and speaking for non-native English learners. Frankly to say it helps me a lot in learning English. Moreover, it is not boring to listen 6 minutes of videos, it helps to know new information also.

Today I couldn't write anything in English because I got vaccinated yesterday. I think that it was my death sentence and I declare victory too soon.

Smallpox

Another great lessons

China’s locked down is sucking,we expecting open the door to the world.

Hello friends of the BBC learning English, this pandemic thing was awful. But hopefully this ended like this we stopped wearing a mask every so often, the talks are interesting

I love 6min English from BBC.

It’s best platform learning English for me

Ya"ll can ...

I think AIDS can’t be eradicated easily.
Although the pandemic is still ongoing , I think we can declare victory as many countries are easing the border restrictions.
Getting married at the age of 18is way too premature.
You should face the truth, you can’t bury your head in the sand.
Having AIDS is no longer a death sentence, although it can’t be eradicated, it can be controlled. It’s a chronic disease.

This video helps to learn vocabularies related to diseases. Thank you!

BBC learning English very useful for everyone. Thanks

The pandemic ends when the monsters who created the fraud are prosecuted and either jailed for life or killed for their crimes against humanity.

BBC learning English very useful for us.I love it's all the programs.

Pp

Thanks a billion
Love from Bangladesh ❤️

This is very helpful to me

Brilliant

Last 3 days I'm addicted to learn English from bbc

This pandemic has not finished yet. For instance the Vaccination for Covid has not avoid spread of the illness, I notice that a lot of people who had gotten the vaccine they caught Covid, what is more, they felt hard symptoms. Nevertheless I listen speaking some doctors also, that vaccine ameliorate bad effects and prevents the patient`s aggravation. Who knows the truth?

Pandemic can be controlled by vaccination

Well, thanks for this episode I've acquired knowledge and new vocabulary!

VOCABULARY IN THIS VIDEO

1. 0:18 declared: stated officially and publicly
2. 0:33 lockdowns: a time when prisoners are not allowed out of their rooms, usually after there has been violence in the prison
3. 1:00 plagues : a disease that causes death and spreads quickly to a large number of people
4. 1:25 cholera : a serious disease that causes sickness and sometimes death. It is caused by eating infected food or drinking infected water.
5. 1:26 polio : a serious infectious disease of the nerves in the spine, that often results in someone being permanently unable to move particular muscles
6. 1:29 smallpox: a serious disease that causes spots which leave marks on your skin
7. 1:45 to get back to normal.
8. 2:14 willing to : prepared to do something, or having no reason to not want to do it
9. 2:19 prematurely : happening before the natural or proper time
10. 3:46 chronic disease
11. 3:50 the infrastructure : the basic systems and structures that a country or organization needs in order to work properly, for example roads, railways, banks etc
12. 5:29 eradicate: to completely get rid of something, such as a disease.
13. 5:34 victory: you announce something to be finished before it actually is.
14. 5:44 IDIOM bury your head on the sand : deliberately refuse to accept the truth about something you find unpleasant
15. 5:50 A death sentence: the punishment of death for committing a crime, or from a disease which has no cure

ALL THE BEST FOR YOU ^^

Today I'm feeling like watching 4 more 6 minute English videos.

As always, BBC is my top-notch source to learn useful English

Useful expressions in this episode: in the shadow of covid, is the pandemic coming to an end? Declare victory. Put our heads in the sand. Make plans to resume normal life. Chronic, or long-lasting. Finish on a hopeful note.

Thanks a million

These podcasts for Upper-intermediate people are useful???

Hello from Santiago, Chile. Nice video.

Hi BBC....

First comment

ندائي إلي كل مسلم قال عزوجل (قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّي يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُ وَمَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ) وقال النبى ﷺ(ما نقص مال من صدقة ) رواه مسلم وقال ﷺ ( أنفق يابن آدم ينفق الله عليك) متفق عليه وقال ﷺ:( مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ يُصبِحُ العِبادُ فِيهِ إِلَّا مَلَكَانِ يَنْزِلانِ، فَيَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمَا: اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُنْفِقًا خَلَفًا، وَيَقُولُ الآخَرُ: اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُمْسِكًا تَلَفًا )ِ((يا ناس يا امة محمد صارت قلوبكم بلا ﺭﺣﻤﻪ ﻭﻻ ﺷﻔﻘﻪ ﻭﻻ ﺃﻧﺴﺎﻧﻴﻪ ﻛﻢ ﺷﻜﻴﺖ ﻭﻛﻢ ﺑﻜﻴﺖ ﻛﻢ ﻧﺎﺩﻳﺖ ﻭﻛﻢ ﻧﺎﺷﺪﺕ ﻭﻟﻜﻦ ﻻ ﺣﻴﺎﺓ ﻟﻤﻦ ﺗﻨﺎﺩﻱ ﻫﻞ ﻳﺮﺿﻴﻜﻢ ﺃﻥ ﺃﺧﻮﺍﻧﻲ ﻳﺒﻜﻮﻥ ﻭﻳﻤﻮﺗﻮﻥ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﻉ ﻭﺃﻧﺘﻢ ﻣﻮﺟﻮﺩﻭﻥ ﻳﻌﻠﻢ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻲ ﺍﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ ﺃﻧﻨﺎ ﻻ ﻧﻤﻠﻚ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻗﻴﻤﺔ ﻛﻴﻠﻮ ﺩﻗﻴﻖ ﺃﺑﻲ ﻣﺘﻮﻓﻲ ﻭﺃﺧﻮﺍﻧﻲ ﺻﻐﺎﺭ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻟﻨﺎ ﺃﺣﺪ ﺃﻗﺴﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ ﺃﻧﻬﻢ ﻧﺎﻣﻮﺍ ﺃﻣﺲ ﺟﻮﻋﺎﻧﻴﻦ ﻭﻫﻢ ﻳﺒﻜﻮﻥ من الالم والولايات ﻳﺎﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺨﻴﺮ ﻫﻞ ﻳﺮﺿﻴﻜﻢ ﺃﻧﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺃﻣﺲ ﻟﺤﺪ ﺍﻵﻥ ﺑﺪﻭﻥ ﺃﻛﻞ ﻳﺎﺃﺧﻮﺓ الأسلام يافاعلين الخير انا اني بنت يمنيه نازحين انا واسرتي بيتنا ايجار وصاحب البيت من الناس الي ماترحم والله يا اخي انه يجي كل يوم يبهدلنا ويتكلم علينا ويريد يطردنا من البيت للشارع لانناماقدرناندفعله الأجار وما يروح الئ بعدما نبكي ورجعوتكلمو الجيران ومهلنالاخره الأسبوع واذا دفعنا له حلف يمين بالله بيخرجنا إلى الشارع بدون رحمه واحنا.مشردين من بلادنا بسبب هذا الحرب ولانجد قوت يومنا وعايشين اناوامي واخوتي سغار والدنا متوفي الله يرحمه ومامعنا أحد في هذا الدنيا يقف جاانبنا في هذه الظروف القاسيه ومامعي اخوان كباره يقفوا معنا في هذا الظروف اخوتي سغار ولكن انا بنت لااستطيع ان اشتغل اقسم بلله ان اخواني خرجوا على للشارع وشافو وشافو الجيران ياكلو راحوا وقفوا عند بابهم لجل يعطوهم ولوخبزه يسد بها جوعهم والله الذي له ملك السموات والارض انهم غلقو الباب وطردوهم ورجعویبکو ويقولو احنا ليش مااحد يعطينا اكل هل ابونا ايرجع والله يااخي اني ماقدرت ارد عليهم غير بالدموع والله ثم والله ما نجد لقمت عیش والان لوما احدنا ساعدنا في كيلوا دقيق اقسم بالله انموت من الجوع فيا اخي انا دخيله على الله ثم عليك واريد منك المساعده لوجه الله انشدك بالله تحب الخير واتساعدني بقدر الاستطاعه ان تتواصل معي واتسا00967712607481وتطلب اسم بطاقتي وترسلي ولاتتاخر وايعوضك الله بكل خير فيا اخي انت رجال إذاشفت اسرتك جاوعين المستحيل من اجل تامن لهم الأكل ولكن انابنت عيني بصيره ويدي قصيره ليس لي أب مثلك يقف جنبي ويحميني من الذل والاهانات واخواني سغار شوف كيف حالتهم وساعدنا وأنقذنا قبل أن يطردونا في الشارع تتبهدل أو نموت من الجوع أنا اقسم بالله الذي رفع سبع سموات بلاعمدوبسط الارض ومهداني لااكذب عليك بحرف من هذا الرساله واني ماطلبتك إلى من ضيق ومن قسوت الضروف والحال الذي احنافيه وانا واسرتي نسالك بالله لولك مقدره ﻳﺎﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺨﻴﺮ ﺍﻟﻲ ﻋﻨﺪﻩ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﺭﻩ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺴﺎﻋﺪﺗﻨﺎ لايتاخر علينا لحظه هاذا رقمي واتساب 00967712607481 الذي يقدر يساعدنا يراسلني على الواتساب نرسله ألاسم الكامل يحولنا بقدر استطاعته الله يجزيكم خير