Definition of 'COVID-19'

COVID-19 in British English

(ˈkəʊvɪd)
NOUN ACRONYM FOR
coronavirus disease 2019; a severe viral infection of the lungs characterized by fever, a
dry cough, breathing difficulties, and fatigue
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Claims that COVID-19, a name the World Health Organization (WHO) created for the deadly novel coronavirus that broke out in
China, stands for “China Outbreak Virus in December 19” have been viewed hundreds of times in various Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Reddit and Weibo posts. The claim is false; the WHO confirmed COVID-19 is an abbreviation of “coronavirus disease
2019” and said that geographical locations are not included when naming diseases to avoid stigmatisation.
The claim was made on Twitter here on February 12, 2020. "#COVID19 stands for China Outbreak Virus in December 19," the tweet reads. 
The claim is false; the WHO announced that COVID-19, which has now killed at least 1,300 and infected nearly 60,000 in China, stands for
“coronavirus disease 2019.” 
"We now have a name for the disease and it is COVID-19. And I will spell it, C-O-V-I-D-hyphen-one-nine," WHO Director-General Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on February 12, 2020. “‘CO’, C-O, stands for corona, ‘VI’ stands for virus, ‘D’ for disease, so
‘COVID’.” 

The True Meaning of "COVID-19"：

China Outbreak Virus In December 19 ！
Tedros added that the WHO chose a name "that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or a group of people, and which
is also pronunciable 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 outbreak," he said. 
The WHO also tweeted the new name for the disease in this February 12 post: “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”.
According to WHO guidelines on “Best Practices for the Naming of New Human Infectious Disease,” geographical locations, people's names,
species/class of animal or food, cultural, population, industry or occupational references and terms that incite fear should be avoided.  
Below is a screenshot of the guidelines: 

What does COVID-19 stand for?

When it emerged, the virus was known as a “novel” strain of the coronavirus family.

Scientists gave the strain an interim name of 2019-nCoV, accounting for the year of discovery, its status as a “novel”
virus, and its family name (CoV).

The new designation, while different, represents the same information

COVID-19 stands for Corona Virus Disease 2019.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the official designation on Tuesday and commented on the importance
of the name.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said the organisation was mindful to prevent “stigmatising”
names.

He said: “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.”

The WHO added via Twitter: “Under agreed guidelines between WHO, the @OIEAnimalHealth & @FAO, 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”.

According to experts, the name of a disease is instrumental during an outbreak.

Speaking to TIME Magazine, Wendy Parmet, a law professor at Northeastern University, said if scientists name a
disease after its country of origin, perceived stigma may make people hesitant to come forward.
What is the difference between self-isolating and
quarantine?
Isolation is a method used to separate an ill person from those who are healthy.

As coronavirus can be spread from person to person, isolation restricts the movement of someone who is ill to prevent the
spread elsewhere.

Quarantine is used to restrict the movements of a well person who may have become exposed to a communicable disease.

COVID-19, also called coronavirus disease, is the name of the disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The virus and
disease were first detected in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019, and, as of the beginning of March 2020, have led to an
outbreak in over 60 countries across the globe, including the US.
While the coronavirus disease is popularly referred to as just coronavirus, coronavirus actually refers to a large family of viruses
which can cause illnesses in human and many animals. Some of these illnesses are rare but severe respiratory infections, including
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and, as most recently
discovered, COVID-19.
On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially named this novel coronavirus COVID-19. COVID is short
for coronavirus disease. The number 19 refers to the fact that the disease was first detected in 2019, though the outbreak occurred
in 2020. Novel coronavirus can be abbreviated as nCoV.
The technical name of the virus that causes COVID-19 is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, abbreviated as SARS-
CoV-2. COVID-19 is genetically related to, but not the same as, the virus that led to the SARS outbreak in 2003. SARS is deadlier
than COVID-19, but less infectious.
Coronaviruses contain RNA and are spherical. Under a microscope, the viruses appear to be surrounded by a spiky array thought
to look like a corona, or crown-like shape, hence the name coronavirus.
The source of the new coronavirus is believed to be an animal. The virus spreads through droplets from the mouth and nose of a
person with COVID-19 after coughing, sneezing, and exhaling.
Other people can then pick up the virus by breathing in these droplets or coming into contact with surfaces that have been
contaminated with the droplets (such as by touching an object and then touching parts of the face).

This is why it’s important to frequently wash your hands—among other practices—to reduce the risk of spreading or getting the
virus. Please watch this video from the WHO for tips on protecting yourself and others from COVID-19:
Common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, dry cough, and difficulty breathing. Less common symptoms experienced
include aches and pains, a runny nose, and diarrhea. Some people infected with COVID-19, however, don’t show symptoms or feel
sick at all.
According to the WHO, most people (80%) recover from COVID-19. However, COVID-19 can develop into a severe illness,
especially in older people or people who already have medical conditions.
The WHO has officially classified the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, which it defines as “a worldwide spread of a a new
disease.” The US government has declared a public health emergency. So far, COVID-19 has caused over 16,000 deaths, and over
370,000 cases have been confirmed around the world.
Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 include social distancing, a term for measures (such as avoiding mass gatherings) taken
to reduce close contact between people. Learn more about social distancing at our article on the difference
between quarantine and isolation.
Health professionals emphasize that protective measures like social distancing can flatten the curve.  Flatten the curve  means
slowing the spread of an epidemic disease so that the capacity of the healthcare system doesn’t become overwhelmed. The curve
represents the number of cases over time, and flattening that curve means preventing a huge surge of new cases in a very short
period of time—which is extremely challenging for health officials to handle. Slowing the spread of an epidemic in this way is known
as mitigation.

The COVID-19 situation is fast-changing. Again, for help and information, please visit the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization).
WHO USES COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the official name of the disease caused by a newly discovered type of coronavirus.

COVID-19 is sometimes written in lowercase as covid-19. Popularly, COVID-19 is referred to as COVID (or covid) for short. The

disease is also commonly referred to as coronavirus, and corona for short. But, keep in mind that coronavirus is technically the

name of a family of viruses, including  SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.