WHO names Coronavirus

The World Health Organisation has named coronavirus that has killed more than 1,000 people.

It has been named COVID-19, which is a revision on the former 2019-nCoV and the development was confirmed by the Organization’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a daily briefing on the outbreak on Tuesday.

Discussing the reasons for the decision, he 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 stigmatising. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks.”