WHO has officially named Novel Coronavirus Disease as ‘COVID-19’.
According to World Health Organization, Novel Coronavirus (2019-CoV) is now officially named as ‘COVID-19’.
In a remark made by WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on 11th February, 2020 he said that, “we now have a name for the disease: COVID-19. I’ll spell it: C-O-V-I-D hyphen one nine – COVID-19.”
COVID-19 means:
‘CO’ for Corona
‘VI’ for Virus
‘D’ for Disease
‘19’ for the year it was first discovered.
He further added that, “Under agreed guidelines between WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, we had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease.”
Moreover, Mr. Ghebreyesus also highlighted that, “Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks.”
Director General also shared the situation update. He shared that, as of 6am Geneva time this morning, there were:
In China,
42,708- confirmed cases.
>1000 deaths- 1017 people in China have lost their lives to this virus.
Outside China:
393 cases in 24 countries, and 1 death.
SARS-CoV-2: Official Name of Coronavirus
Coronavirus Study Group (CSG) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, which is responsible for developing the official classification of viruses and taxa naming (taxonomy) of the Coronaviridae family, assessed the novelty of the human pathogen tentatively named 2019-nCoV.
Based on phylogeny, taxonomy and established practice, the CSG formally recognizes this virus as a sister to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs) of the species Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus and designates it as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
