Novel coronavirus
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A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is any recently discovered coronavirus of medical significance not yet permanently named. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections are normally mild (such as the common cold, which is caused by human coronaviruses in about 15% of cases), cross-species transmission has produced some unusually virulent strains which can cause viral pneumonia and in serious cases even acute respiratory distress syndrome.[1][2][3]
Species
The following species could initially be referred to as "novel coronavirus", often with retroactive prepending of the year of discovery, before being given a permanent designation:
Initial name | Officially named | Informal names | Original host[a] | Place of discovery | Disease caused |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019-nCoV | COVID-19 | Wuhan virus, Wuhan coronavirus, seafood market pneumonia virus | snakes, pangolins, bats | Wuhan, China | 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)[b] |
2012-nCoV | Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV)[c] | MERS virus, camel flu virus | camels, bats | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) |
2005-nCoV | human coronavirus HKU1 (HCoV-HKU1) | New Haven virus | mice | Hong Kong, China | unnamed, rare, mostly mild variant of coronavirus respiratory syndrome |
2002-nCoV | severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV) | SARS virus | civets, bats | Foshan, China | severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) |
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Etymology
The word "novel" indicates a "new pathogen of a previously known type" (i.e. known family) of virus. Use of the word conforms to best practices for naming new infectious diseases published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015. Historically, pathogens have sometimes been named after locations, individuals, or specific species. However, this practice is now explicitly discouraged by the WHO.[4]
See also
- Coronavirus 229E
- Coronavirus OC43
- Coronavirus NL63
- Bat SARS-like coronavirus WIV1
- Coronaviridae
- Coronavirus outbreak
References
- ^ Murray and Nadel (2010). Chapter 31.
- ^ Cunha (2010). pp. 6–18.
- ^ Melmed 2011, pp. 636
- ^ World Health Organization Best Practices for the Naming of New Human Infectious Diseases. World Health Organization. May 2015.