What distinguishes a pandemic from an epidemic in terms of geographical scope and impact?

The key difference is geographical scope. An epidemic is a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is typically expected in a particular population or area. A pandemic, on the other hand, is an epidemic that has spread across multiple countries or continents, affecting a large number of people globally. While an epidemic is localized, a pandemic is widespread. The impact of a pandemic is also typically greater due to its larger scale, causing widespread disruption to economies, healthcare systems, and societies. For example, a localized outbreak of influenza in a city would be an epidemic, while the global spread of COVID-19 was a pandemic.