WHO Renames Coronavirus As Covid-19

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, February 12th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The World Health Organization (WHO) says the official name for the new and ravaging coronavirus is Covid-19.

The global health body chief, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made known to journalists in Geneva.

“We now have a name for the disease and it’s Covid-19’’ the official said.

Dr Ghebreyesus therefore called on the world to fight the new virus as aggressively as possible.

The word coronavirus refers to the group of viruses it belongs to, rather than the latest strain.

The virus itself has been designated SARS – CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.

Researchers have been calling for an official name to avoid confusion and stigmatization of any group or country.

WHO Chief said: “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 stigmatizing. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks.”

The new name is taken from the words “corona”, “virus” and “disease”, with 2019 representing the year that it emerged. The disease was reported to the WHO Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

Similarly, the new appellation comes after the death toll from the virus passed 1,000. Tens of thousands of people have been infected.