I'm not medical people, but I finally thought to myself, "Look it up, dummy!"

PANDEMIC is defined as "universal".

CONTAGIOUS is defined as "communicable".

EPIDEMIC is defined as "a widespread outbreak of an infectious [or contagious] disease; many people are infected at the same time".

IMO, the media is trying to give people the impression that a pandemic is the same thing as an epidemic, which it is not, and may never be.

Also IMO, the American Public School System promotes ignorance. It is easier to confuse/control ignorant people than it is to confuse educated people. (And NO, I am not referring to anyone in particular.)