Coronavirus Nomenclature

On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, COVID-19. The virus itself has been designated SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.

What is Coronavirus

According to the World Health Organization[i], Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

What is 2019 Novel Coronavirus

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, formerly known as 2019-nCoV and now known as SARS-COV-2, is a new strain of coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. It’s important to note that how easily a virus spreads person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious, while other viruses are less so. Investigations are ongoing tobetterunderstandthetransmissibility,severity,andotherfeaturesassociated with the Novel Coronavirus, but person-to-person spread is occurring[i].

Know the Novel Coronavirus Symptoms

According to the CDC, patients with confirmed infections have reported mild to severe respiratory illnesses with symptoms including:

• Fever • Cough • Shortness of breath



CDC believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS viruses.[iv]

How Coronavirus is Spread

The CDC states[iv] that the viruses is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person from:

• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). • Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.



These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled in the lungs.

It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes, but this not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community (“community spread”) in some affected geographic areas. There is much more to learn about the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with the Novel Coronavirus and investigations are ongoing.

How to help protect from the Coronavirus

