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WHO names coronavirus as COVID-19

Representative image. Image courtesy: Chiang Rai Times

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday has given an official name for the deadly coronavirus  disease which is Covid -19.

While speaking to the media in Geneva, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “We now have a name for the disease and it’s Covid-19.”

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“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,” he added.

He also said that the organization had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or a group of people.

Also read: British businessman transfers coronavirus to countries without setting foot in China

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The WHO chief also said that the name was chosen in such a way that it is pronounceable.

The new name is derived from three words- corona, virus and disease.

However, the number 19 was taken from the year 2019 which represents the time the disease had first started.

Meanwhile, the death toll due to coronavirus reached 1100 in China on Wednesday.

 

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