FALSE: DO NOT SHARE
Claim:
COVID-19 stands for the the 19th ‘Chinese Originated Viral Infectious Disease’.
Answer:
False. COVID-19 stands for Corona Virus Disease 2019.
FURTHER INFORMATION
This message claims that the name COVID-19 stands for the 19th ‘Chinese Originated Viral Infectious Disease’.
This is false, COVID-19 stands for ‘Corona Virus Disease 2019’, which is the infectious disease caused by the new coronavirus [SAR-CoV-2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the name of the virus refers to the disease type and the year of origin.
The Director-General of WHO said that, “We had to find a name [for the illness caused by the new coronavirus] 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.”
SOURCE
WHO: Coronavirus press conference 11 February, 2020
Origins of Claim
FULL TEXT OF CLAIM
Hate to break this to all of the morons who call themselves Journalists.
COVID literally stands for “Chinese Originated Viral Infectious Disease” and the number 19 is due to this being the 19th virus to come out of China.
