"We now have a name for the disease and it's Covid-19," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday.
The CO stands for corona, the VI for virus, the D for disease, and 19 for the year it emerged.
“Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatising,” Tedros told reporters.
Tedros said the World Health Organisation had chosen a name that did not refer to a geographical location, animals, an individual or a group of people to avoid stigmatisation amid a wave of anti-Chinese sentiment.
Measures by certain countries to curb visitors from China have notably offended Beijing, which says they are an unscientific, fear-based over-reaction.
The virus had been tentatively referred to as 2019-nCoV. Some people on social media had also referred to the respiratory illness as the “Wuhan virus” or “China virus.”
Both Chinese & external expert groups are trying to identify the animal source of 2019-nCoV.
World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 11, 2020
Identifying it would help to ensure that there will be no further similar outbreaks & will also help to understand the initial spread of #COVID19 in the Wuhan area, 🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/zcZLoe5cIg
Race to find vaccine
Efforts to develop a vaccine meanwhile continue, however experts reckon one won't be ready for another 18 months.
In the meantime, the World Health Organisation has told countries to make do with what they already have, and above all "not to take any chances."
Hundreds of infections have been reported in dozens of countries and territories, with the death toll in mainland China now hovering at over 1,113 on Tuesday.
"We are not defenceless," Tedros insisted.
"We have to use the current window of opportunity to hit hard and stand in unison to fight this virus in every corner," he said Tuesday, on the first day of an international scientific conference in Geneva that will look at possible vaccine options to combat the virus.
"If we don't, we could have far more cases and far higher costs on our hands."
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