(NICCMA)
¶Northern Ireland A branch of the UK-wide Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice. Covid-19 Bereaved Represents bereaved relatives of individuals who died from Families for Justice Covid-19 in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland The administrative branch of the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is Executive (the responsible for matters including enterprise, trade and investment, Executive agriculture and rural development, education, health, policing and Committee) justice, environment and regional development. Office for National The UK's largest independent producer of official statistics and the Statistics recognised national statistical institute of the UK. Omicron variant Emerged in the autumn of 2021, causing a wave of infections that peaked in the UK on 4 January 2022. Order A type of secondary legislation. Outbreak The occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would
308normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season.
¶Term Description Pandemic An epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area,
crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people.
¶Parliamentary The close examination and investigation of government policies, scrutiny actions and spending by a legislature. Pathogens Infectious organisms, such as viruses, bacteria or parasites, that can produce a disease. Permanent Secretary A senior civil servant responsible for the day-to-day running of a
government department. In the UK government and in Northern Ireland there is a Permanent Secretary for each government department. There is a single Permanent Secretary for each of the Scottish and Welsh governments.
¶Personal protective Equipment that minimises exposure to hazards. In health and social equipment (PPE) care, it ranges from basic items such as aprons, gowns and
disposable gloves to specialised items such as face shields and respirator masks.
¶Population immunity In general terms, the point where immunity to a pathogen among ('herd immunity') the population reaches such a threshold that there are fewer
people able to be infected and, as a result, the amount of the pathogen in circulation begins to decline until it dies out. The severity of disease may also reduce during this process.
¶Population Separating a population into groups according to the kind of care segmentation that people need and how often they need it. Pre-symptomatic When a person has been infected with a disease but no symptoms have yet appeared. Prevalence A measurement that expresses the proportion of people who have
a disease at or during a given time period. Prevalence rates for disease are calculated by dividing the number of cases by the total number of people in the sample.
¶Primary legislation The main laws passed by a legislature. Prime Minister of the The leader of the UK government, ultimately responsible for the UK policy and decisions of the government. Public health The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised efforts of society. Public Health Established under the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act Agency (Northern Ireland) 2009. Responsible for the improvement of health
and social wellbeing, reducing health inequalities in Northern Ireland, health protection and service development.
¶Public Health An executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care England until it was replaced by the UK Health Security Agency and the
309Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in October 2021. It was responsible for all aspects of public health.
¶Term Description Public Health Scotland's national public health body, working to prevent disease, Scotland prolong healthy life and promote health and wellbeing. Preceded prior to 1 April 2020 by Health Protection Scotland. Public Health Wales An NHS trust which aims to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities in Wales. Quad A group of four ministers in the UK government, established in April
2020 for decision-making purposes while the Prime Minister was ill with Covid-19.
¶Quarantine A period of isolation to reduce the risk of incoming travellers
transmitting infectious diseases. (Quarantine is distinct from self-isolation, where there is a confirmed case of disease.)
¶Reasonable worst- A tool used for planning purposes to illustrate the worst case scenario manifestation of a risk that can reasonably be expected potentially to occur based on current information and data. Regulations A type of secondary legislation. 'The reproduction Generally refers to Rt (RT): the average number of people that a number', 'the R single infected person passes the virus on to at a particular point in number', 'R' time, taking into account current levels of immunity and the extent
of social mixing. May alternatively refer to R0 (R0): the average number of people that one infected person would pass the virus to in a population with normal mixing behaviour and no prior immunity.
¶Restrictions Restrictions on movement, gatherings, operating businesses and
international travel. Can be voluntary (such as advice to wear face coverings) or mandatory (such as lockdowns and border restrictions).
¶Risk assessment A systematic process for evaluating the likelihood of a potential risk occurring and the potential impact it would have, were it to happen. Royal Assent When the monarch formally agrees to make a bill that has completed all the parliamentary stages into an Act of Parliament. Rule of six A mandatory legal requirement introduced across the UK in August
and September 2020 prohibiting social gatherings of more than six people.
¶Rules A type of secondary legislation. Scenarios A tool for risk assessment that involves developing models of what
might happen in the future, identifying risk, and exploring uncertainty, consequences and interdependencies.
¶Scientific Advisory An advisory group convened to provide independent scientific Group for advice to support decision-making in COBR in the event of a Emergencies (SAGE) national emergency.
310¶Term Description Scientific Pandemic An advisory group of the Department of Health and Social Care Infections Group on that provides expert advice to the UK government based on Modelling (SPI-M) infectious disease modelling and epidemiology. Until 2022, it was the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling. Scientific Pandemic An operational sub-group of SPI-M that meets more regularly Infections Group on whenever there is a pandemic. It was set up during the 2009 to Modelling, 2010 H1N1 influenza pandemic ('swine flu') and was stood up again Operational sub- during the Covid-19 pandemic. group (SPI-M-O) Scientific Pandemic An expert group that provides independent, expert social and Insights Group on behavioural science advice to SAGE. Behaviours (SPI-B) Scottish Covid A group representing bereaved relatives of individuals who died Bereaved from Covid-19 in Scotland. Scottish Government The devolved administration for Scotland. Scottish Government Activated during emergencies and significant events to coordinate Resilience Room the work of the Scottish Government and its agencies and to brief ministers. Secondary Delegated legislation made by a person or body under authority legislation contained in primary legislation. Secretary of State A Cabinet minister in charge of a government department. Self-isolation Staying at home because of a suspected or confirmed infection. Severe acute The disease caused by SARS-CoV-1. respiratory syndrome (SARS) Severe acute A coronavirus that causes SARS. Closely related to SARS-CoV-2. respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 (SARS- CoV-1) Severe acute The coronavirus that causes the disease Covid-19. respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2) Shielding An intervention introduced to support those who are clinically
extremely vulnerable and therefore considered to be most at risk of serious illness from, for example, Covid-19.
311which may include temporarily reducing socialising in public places such as entertainment or sports events, reducing use of non-essential public transport, or recommending more home working.
¶Term Description Statutory A type of secondary legislation. instruments Steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 Steps for the easing of the first lockdown in England, announced on
¶11 May 2020. Strain A new variant of a virus that develops through mutation with
different functional properties to the original virus and becomes established in a population.
¶Strategic Intelligence An internal advisory group established by the Department of Group Health (Northern Ireland) in April 2020 to synthesise information from SAGE and produce regular Northern Ireland-specific analysis. Suppression A more extreme form of mitigation, along the lines of a lockdown, that aims to quash transmission of a disease completely. Surge capacity The ability of a healthcare system to manage and respond to
unpredictable and sudden increases in demand for healthcare services.
¶Swine flu A relatively mild influenza pandemic which began in 2009. Symptomatic Showing symptoms following an infection. Technical Advisory A team of Welsh Government civil servants established in February Cell 2020 to provide a secretariat, coordination and leadership function for the Technical Advisory Group and its associated sub-groups. Technical Advisory A group of civil servants and external scientific and technical Group experts who provide independent science advice and guidance to the Welsh Government in response to Covid-19. Therapeutics A drug used to treat rather than prevent a disease. Tiers A system of restrictions implemented in England in October 2020. Transmissibility The ability of a pathogen, such as a virus, to spread from one person to another (measured by R). Transmission The process by which a pathogen or disease spreads from one infected person to another. The Treasury A ministerial government department that acts as the economic
and finance ministry, maintaining control over public spending and setting the direction of UK economic policy.
¶UK government The central government for the UK, headed by the Prime Minister.
312The UK government is responsible for non-devolved policy matters across the UK. (The Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive are separate from the UK government and are responsible for devolved policy matters in their respective nations.)
¶Term Description UK Health Security An executive agency, established in April 2021 and sponsored by Agency the Department of Health and Social Care, responsible for public health protection and infectious disease capability. UK National The principal adviser on official statistics to the UK government. Statistician Unionists (Northern Those who support Northern Ireland remaining a part of the UK. Ireland) Vaccination Protecting individuals from a disease by treating them with a vaccine. Vaccine Vaccines train the immune system to recognise a pathogen and to defend the body from it at the next encounter. Vaccine escape Mutation of a pathogen that helps it to avoid the immune response triggered by a vaccine. Vaccine uptake The number of people vaccinated with a particular dose of vaccine in a particular time period. Variant Viruses with new mutations that give them an advantage, such as
making them more transmissible or better at evading natural or vaccine-induced immunity.
¶Variant of concern Variants that have a more pronounced impact on public health, due
to increased transmissibility, disease severity, immune evasion or resistance to diagnostics and therapeutics.
¶Ventilation The process of introducing fresh air into indoor spaces while removing stale air. Ventilator A life support machine used to mechanically support breathing by pumping air into a patient's lungs. Virology The scientific and medical discipline concerned with understanding
the biology of viruses and viral diseases, their treatment and prevention.
¶Virus A parasitic infectious agent which replicates only inside the cells of an organism. Vulnerable groups Groups within the population who were particularly susceptible to
Covid-19 or to decisions made by the UK government and devolved administrations to reduce transmission. They were categorised by the UK government as 'clinically vulnerable' or 'clinically extremely vulnerable'.
¶Welsh Government The devolved administration for Wales. WhatsApp An instant-messaging and voice and video-calling app. Whole-system civil The most complex civil emergencies, which require a cross- emergencies departmental approach by government to preparedness and response.
313¶Term Description World Health A specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for Organization international public health. 'Zero Covid' strategy A strategy that seeks to eliminate transmission of Covid-19 in the
314community. It requires extremely stringent measures to be put in place, possibly for a considerable period of time.