A disease that’s endemic is continuously present in a given population at a lower and more stable level, even if cases spike under certain conditions. The virus won’t go away entirely, however, and endemic diseases can still take a serious toll. Tuberculosis and malaria, which are endemic in some parts of the world, claimed an estimated 1.5 million and 627,000 lives, respectively, in 2020. “Endemic in itself does not mean good. Endemic just means it’s here forever,” said Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program.

Source: Washington Post January 19, 2022 22:14 UTC