Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it

Official names have been announced for the virus responsible for COVID-19 (previously known as “2019 novel coronavirus”) and the disease it causes.  The official names are:

Disease 

coronavirus disease 

(COVID-19)


Virus 
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 
(SARS-CoV-2)

ICTV announced “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)” as the name of the new virus on 11 February 2020.  This name was chosen because the virus is genetically related to the coronavirus responsible for the SARS outbreak of 2003.  While related, the two viruses are different.   
WHO announced “COVID-19” as the name of this new disease on 11 February 2020, following guidelines previously developed with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

From a risk communications perspective, using the name SARS can have unintended consequences in terms of creating unnecessary fear for some populations, especially in Asia which was worst affected by the SARS outbreak in 2003. 
For that reason and others, WHO has begun referring to the virus as “the virus responsible for COVID-19” or “the COVID-19 virus” when communicating with the public.  Neither of these designations are intended as replacements for the official name of the virus as agreed by the ICTV.

WHO website

I feel that this is information that needs to be seen.

Take from it what you want.

a reply to: liejunkie01

I feel that this is information that needs to be seen.

What makes you feel this way?

I'm calling it the cold because that's what it is.

The effects of this word "cold" is intended to affect certain populations in Western cultures by pointing out to them how ridiculous this whole farce is.

Coronavirus 2.
"This time you will need more than toilet paper"


in cinemas worldwide jan 2021..

Rotten Tomato critics love the first one.

originally posted by: Alien Abduct
a reply to: liejunkie01

I feel that this is information that needs to be seen.

What makes you feel this way?

I think people need to educate themselves a little more.

What's a better way than the naming of the virus?

originally posted by: muzzleflash
I'm calling it the cold because that's what it is.

The effects of this word "cold" is intended to affect certain populations in Western cultures by pointing out to them how ridiculous this whole farce is.

Your opinion is duly noted.

Education is key.

a reply to: liejunkie01

Sino Pox, China Pox, Peking Pestilence, WuFlu, Wuhan Virus, WTF ever anyone calls it, we all know what's being referenced. I don't believe there's been any confusion over what virus China shat out upon this cursed land 3 months ago...

My immune system has trained for generations in the 7-star Grand Mantis tradition of kicking corona-virus ass.
I honestly have no fears or worries that are any different from any other cold outbreak.
I wonder if this has affected sales of Corona beer.
I hope not.
That squeeze of lime may just save your ass.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: liejunkie01

Sino Pox, China Pox, Peking Pestilence, WuFlu, Wuhan Virus, WTF ever anyone calls it, we all know what's being referenced. I don't believe there's been any confusion over what virus China shat out upon this cursed land 3 months ago...

I prefer Kung-flu because nobody will escape the ass kicking.

I order Wuflu Pork at the Chinese take-out the other day and they didn't miss a beat.

a reply to: liejunkie01

I find it interesting that there are 7 known human coronaviruses. 4 of them have been around for a LONG time and cause mild colds.

The last 3 (SARS-CoV [2003], MERS [2012], and the new one, SARS-CoV-2 [2019]) all originated in the past 17 years, and can cause severe illness and death.

Why has the common cold so recently started sprouting off into these more severe iterations? Personally, I think its either weapons or vaccine / anti-viral research. Why we would have been bothering to worry about vaccines or anti-virals for what were previously benign coronaviruses, I don't know. I just don't believe nature suddenly started turning the keys to make the common cold turn into serious illness causing viruses.

a reply to: liejunkie01

Take it how? It follows established naming convention

what are you seeing that I (we) are missing?

a reply to: muzzleflash

That's one hell of a cold...

LMAO. SMFH

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: liejunkie01

Sino Pox, China Pox, Peking Pestilence, WuFlu, Wuhan Virus, WTF ever anyone calls it, we all know what's being referenced. I don't believe there's been any confusion over what virus China shat out upon this cursed land 3 months ago...

"Shat"...hahahaha!!

Agreed

I tried to tell my daughter that this virus evolved from the Sars virus and she did not believe me, she said I was wrong, it was not even related at all. I said I just read it from a reliable source, and she said it was not even close to Sars, that Sars was not a coronavirus. I hate discussing stuff with people who think they know things but actually know hardly anything.

At least she did agree it was probably not natural, it was engineered by someone.

This information about it evolving from Sars was out about five days ago already.

a reply to: liejunkie01

the virus actually self identifies as a protozoa - and whishes to be addressed as " bob "

originally posted by: dogstar23
a reply to: liejunkie01

I find it interesting that there are 7 known human coronaviruses. 4 of them have been around for a LONG time and cause mild colds.

The last 3 (SARS-CoV [2003], MERS [2012], and the new one, SARS-CoV-2 [2019]) all originated in the past 17 years, and can cause severe illness and death.

Why has the common cold so recently started sprouting off into these more severe iterations? Personally, I think its either weapons or vaccine / anti-viral research. Why we would have been bothering to worry about vaccines or anti-virals for what were previously benign coronaviruses, I don't know. I just don't believe nature suddenly started turning the keys to make the common cold turn into serious illness causing viruses.

The other variants of Corona, the older ones, do cause serious illness and even death in thousands of at risk people especially older folks or those afflicted with immune system weakening disorders like HIV.

The common cold can be devastating for those at risk ppl.

This current variant is weaker than SARS or MERS, and most ppl who get this new strain won't even show symptoms because their body will fight it off quickly.

The death rates will be less than 1% when the dust settles in around a year or two. It's the new common cold essentially, it'll be with humanity for decades to come and it's not a huge cataclysm.

We need to put this into perspective here. There's no actual serious danger here beyond the current dangers posed by other colds. That's the category it's in.

a reply to: liejunkie01

What? The viruses are related, but the diseases they cause are very different just like if you compared the DNA of chimps and humans, you might think the organisms they create are nearly identical right up until you see and interact with us. There are some significant differences caused by that tiny percentage of difference.