Meaning of pingdemic | Babel Free

Definitions

The rapid rise in self-isolation resulting from many people being sent advisory alerts ("pings") by the National Health Service’s COVID-19 test and trace app for mobile phones.

UK, informal, neologism

Examples

“The Metropolitan Line was forced to close on July 17 because so many workers were self-isolating that insufficient control room staff remained to run the service.”

“Output in consumer-facing services fell 0.3 per cent in July, the first decline since January, mainly because of a 2.5 per cent drop in retail sales during bad weather and a spike in cases in mid-July that caused the so-called "pingdemic", after the NHS Covid-19 app ordered hundreds of thousands to self-isolate.”

“To that end, testing should be used to keep society open not shut it down, which is what is happening now despite Mr Johnson's intentions. That lesson should have been learnt with the "pingdemic" last summer but apparently was not.”

“The NHS Covid-19 app behind the controversial “pingdemic” is to be shut down next month. The digital contact tracing service, which crippled businesses and forced millions of workers into quarantine, will stop working on April 27 for lack of use.”

CEFR level