Covid-19: World Health Organization officially names coronavirus disease

According to WHO, Coronavirus refers to a group of viruses that contains those that cause SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).

To that effect, the Coronavirus is now being called Covid-19.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the global body, announced the new name at a conference in Geneva on Tuesday afternoon.

The news was also shared on the official Twitter account of the WHO.

“C-o stands for corona, v-i stands for virus, d for disease – so, COVID,” Dr. Ghebreyesus said.

“Under agreed guidelines between WHO, the World Organization 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.

“Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatising.

“It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks.”

? BREAKING ?

"We now have a name for the #2019nCoV disease:

COVID-19.

I’ll spell it: C-O-V-I-D hyphen one nine – COVID-19"

–@DrTedros #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Kh0wx2qfzk

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 11, 2020

WHO has already declared the virus an international medical emergency and urged countries all around the world to prepare for the spread of the disease.

This is coming more than a month after the Coronavirus was first reported in the Wuhan region of China. Since then, it has spread to over 21 countries, with almost 50 thousand reported cases and 1113 people dead in China alone.

The virus is known to cause pneumonia with victims having a cough, fever and breathing problems.