The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PANDEMIC
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
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More clues leading to the result PANDEMIC
- Democrat's gripped by sudden anxiety — it's all over
- In serious outbreak criticise bungling medic
- Current unwelcome visitor camped in compound
- Dose people gripped by fear of coronavirus?
- Irrational fear about returning sea causing widespread disease
- Strongly criticise Ms Moore, about to become viral worldwide?
- God afflicted medic with common disease
- Major health problem producing short protest amid fear
- Initially, parasites and mice spread a deadly disease
- Serious outbreak of alarm about sea’s return
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The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PANDEMIC mean?
PANDEMIC noun- A pandemic disease; a disease that affects a wide geographical area and a large proportion of the population.
- Of a disease: epidemic over a wide geographical area and affecting a large proportion of the population; also, of or pertaining to a disease of this nature.
- (usually derogatory) General, widespread.
- Of Aphrodite Pandemos, the earthly aspect of the Greek goddess of beauty and love Aphrodite and her Roman counterpart Venus, as contrasted with the heavenly aspect known as Aphrodite Urania: earthly, physical, sensual.