superspreading event

American  

[soo-per-spred-ing i-vent] / ˈsu pərˌsprɛd ɪŋ ɪˈvɛnt /

Or super-spreading event

noun

1. Pathology. an incidence of transmission of a highly active contagion to a larger number of people than average, often characterized by explosive growth of contracted illness early in an outbreak and sustained transmission thereafter.

   Our findings strongly suggest that a superspreading event occurred during the wedding, as a number of the guests have fallen ill and are testing positive for the virus.

2. a social event or other, usually large, gathering of people that results in, or is likely to result in, a significant spreading of a highly active contagion, as during a pandemic.

   I support the home team as much as I ever did, but I won’t be attending any superspreading events.

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Etymology

Origin of superspreading event

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

superspreading event

The researchers say this supports the idea of the market as the origin, rather than the pandemic starting elsewhere with the market adding fuel to the fire in a superspreading event.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2024

Memories are still fresh from March, when the carnival was derided as a superspreading event that turned the city into a coronavirus hot spot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2023

The milling throngs of desperate airline passengers were a perfect petri dish for a covid-19 superspreading event.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 27, 2021

The event was widely criticized as a "superspreading event" last year amid the pandemic, when about 460,000 people attended.

From Fox News ● Aug. 7, 2021

The simplest explanation for the "superspreading event," as scientists call this type of spread, is a lapse in infection control measures at the hospital, Ben Embarek says.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 2, 2015