re: COVID-19 is close to losing its epidemic status in the U.S., according to the CDC

A pandemic is an epidemic that has spread over a large geographic area and affects a large number of the population. IF COVID-19 ceases to be an epidemic in the U.S. then it can no longer be considered a pandemic for us, unless a new wave materializes and the whole thing starts again. So a pandemic is an epidemic but an epidemic is not necessarily a pandemic.