Consideration and Suggestion for Naming the Novel Coronavirus

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-8578.2020.02.002

Abstract

Abstract:

A new type of viral pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China in December,2019. On February 11, 2020, WHO named the novel coronavirus disease as COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). On the same day, the novel coronavirus was named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by the Coronaviridae Study Group (CSG) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. The new name of the virus is not consistent with its disease name and does not completely and truthfully reflect the features of the virus itself, which immediately caused wide concerns and confusion. Based on etiological, epidemiological and clinical data of COVID-19, we propose to name the virus as human coronavirus 2019 (HCoV-19) . The CSG adopted a genome sequence-based method to name 2019-nCoV, which we think is not appropriate for this virus that has caused a distinct disease from SARS caused by SARS-CoV. We suggest that the disease-based method should be employed to name the newly identified human virus that causes a distinct disease.

Key words: coronavirus, pneumonia, 2019-nCoV, HCoV-19, COVID-19

CLC Number:

ZHANG Dongmei, JIANG Shibo, SHI Zhengli, TAN Wenjie, LU Hongzhou, CAO Bin, ZHANG Wenhong, LIU Shuwen, ZHONG Jin, XIAO Gengfu, XIE Youhua, DENG Kai, ZHAO Jincun, YANG Zifeng, SONG Jingdong, LU Lu, HUANG Jinghe, YING Tianlei, WANG Qiao, SHI Mang, XU Jianqing, AN Jing, LU Fengmin, GAO Fu, SHU Yuelong, GUO Deyin. Consideration and Suggestion for Naming the Novel Coronavirus[J]. China Terminology, 2020, 22(2): 5-10.

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