superspreading event

or su·per-spread·ing e·vent

[ soo-per-spred-ing i-vent ]

/ ˈsu pərˌsprɛd ɪŋ ɪˈvɛnt /

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noun

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.

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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Also called su·per·spread·er e·vent, su·per-spread·er e·vent

[soo-per-spred-er i-vent] /ˈsu pərˌsprɛd ər ɪˈvɛnt/ .

Origin of superspreading event

First recorded in 1990–95

Words nearby superspreading event

supersonic, supersonics, supersonic transport, superspeed, superspreader, superspreading event, superstar, superstate, superstation, superstition, superstitious

How to use superspreading event in a sentence

If the festival turns out to be a superspreading event, there could be significant trickle-down effects.
‘The Ripple Effect Is a Major Concern.’ Chicagoans Worry About the Aftermath of Lollapalooza as the Delta Variant Surges|Andrew R. Chow|July 30, 2021|Time
He says the worst superspreading events are crowded, indoors, feature poor ventilation, and keep people together for long periods of time—especially if they’re vocalizing, and even more so if they’re singing or shouting.
Where are we most likely to catch COVID-19?|Betsy Ladyzhets|March 12, 2021|Popular-Science
These precautions are important, but any gathering that brings thousands of people together has the potential to become a superspreading event.
Even at half capacity, the Super Bowl could cause COVID-19 outbreaks|Kate Baggaley|February 5, 2021|Popular-Science
In that model, many more people became infected through superspreading events.
Slowing the spread|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review

We know that superspreading events are a major component of transmission.
The CDC has finally acknowledged that the coronavirus can be airborne|Charlotte Jee|October 6, 2020|MIT Technology Review