COVID-19 was the World Health Organization’s (WHO), February 11, 2020, name for the new coronavirus SARS/CoV2. It was first reported in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Since then it has spread to other parts of the world. COVID-19 stands for coronavirus infection of 2019.
What is COVID-19 in its entirety?
COVID-19 refers to the SARS-CoV2 disease. Different viruses and diseases have different names. AIDS, for example, is caused by HIV, the human immunodeficiencyvirus.
COVID-19, as mentioned previously, is an acronym. COVID-19, in its entirety, stands for coronavirus infection of 2019.
Who was the first to name COVID-19
In a press release dated February 11, 2020, the WHO gave the abbreviated title COVID-19 to the coronavirus infection of 2019.
Is there a source for the abbreviation “COVID-19?”
The Chinese WHO Country Office received a report of a new, strange form of pneumonia on December 31, 2019. These cases were first reported in Wuhan, China’s Hubei Province. These infections were caused by a new coronavirus, which was named 2019-nCoV.
The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses renamed it “severe acute respir syndrome coronavirus 2”, or SARS-CoV2 on February 11, 2020. Because the virus is a genetic cousin to the coronavirus that caused the 2002 SARS outbreak (SARS–CoV), it was named SARS–CoV2.
The virus’ unofficial name is “the COVID-19virus.”
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What was the reason for the renaming of coronavirus to COVID-19
In a press release, the WHO explained that this disease needed a new name: “to allow discussion on disease prevention and spread, transmissibility severity, treatment, and surveillance.”
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the official name of diseases. The name of COVID-19 was determined using agreed guidelines between WHO (World Organization for Animal Health) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations. Name and abbreviation were chosen as it did not refer to any specific geographical location, animal or group of people. It had to be easy-to-pronounce and relate to the disease.
What is a coronavirus and how does it affect you?
Coronaviruses are a common virus that can infect both humans and animals. They were first identified in domestic poultry in 1930. Coronaviruses can cause various diseases in animals such as respiratory, gastrointestinal and liver problems. Human disease is caused by only seven coronaviruses:
There are four human coronaviruses that cause the common cold.
Three human coronaviruses are responsible for more severe infections: SARS in 2002 (severe acute respir syndrome or “SARS”) and MERS-CoV 2012 (Middle East respiratory Syndrome or “MERS”), as well as SARS-CoV2 (“the current pandemic known under the name COVID-19).
Learn more about coronavirus definitions here.
What is a new coronavirus?
It is a “novel coronavirus” which means it is a coronavirus that has never been identified in humans. It is distinct from the coronaviruses which cause the common cold and MERS in 2012, as well as those that caused SARS and MERS in 2002.
The novel coronavirus, like MERS and SARS, is a zoonotic disorder. A zoonotic illness is one that starts in animals and spreads from animals to humans.
