Coronavirus given name ‘Covid-19’ by World Health Organisation
The new strain of coronavirus has been officially named ‘Covid-19’ by World Health Organisation (WHO).
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the director general of the global body, made the announcement at a conference in Geneva today, six weeks after the virus first broke out in Wuhan, China.
The disease is believed to have killed more than 1,000 people and infected around 43,000 others around the world.
It had previously been referred to as ‘2019-nCoV’ by health authorities examining its cause.
The name Covid-19 is made up of the first letters of the words ‘coronavirus’, ‘virus’ and ‘disease’, Dr Ghebreyesus said.
He continued: ‘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.’
Student's Airbnb cancelled at last minute because of coronavirusIt is believed scientists decided on the name at the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) last week.
Today it was announced that the death toll for covid-19 had reached 1,016 after another 108 deaths were reported over the previous 24 hours.
This means more people have now died from the virus than those who died from SARS, which broke out in 2002-03.
It is thought there are as many as 42,638 cases of people infected on the mainland in China.
Today the Department of Health confirmed that there had been 1,358 people tested for the coronavirus in the UK, with only eight diagnosed.
Meanwhile a British businessman, who is thought to have spread the virus to at least 11 people, has now recovered.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 'didn't want to do a Phil Taylor' with his snooker careerSteve Walsh, 53, thanked NHS staff for their help and care in a statement released by Guy’s Hospital, in London, where he is in isolation.
He continued: ‘Whilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus.
‘As soon as I knew I had been exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus I contacted my GP, NHS 111 and Public Health England.
What is the coronavirus and where did it start?
Coronaviruses are a family of diseases which include the common cold and the virus which caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which originated in China in 2002 and killed nearly 800 people around the world.
The virus causing concern now is a new strain which has made the jump from animals to people.
It causes flu-like symptoms and can make it hard for people to breathe, causing viral pneumonia in severe cases.
Over 900 people worldwide have now died after contracting the illness.
The virus is more likely to progress into a severe illness or prove fatal among older patients or those with weakened immune systems.
As it is a viral illness, antibiotics will not help and there is no known cure or vaccine.
What are the symptoms of the virus? .
The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to mainland China, and British Airways has subsequently suspended flights there.
They have not advised against travel to Thailand and Japan, which have both seen cases of the virus, but warned there are enhanced quarantine procedures at entry points to Japan such as airports and ports.
If you’re booked onto a flight with BA and are scheduled to fly between January 26 – February 23, you can request a refund.
In order to do this, get in touch with them directly through the BA website.
They also offer the option to rebook to the same destination, although it is not known when flights to mainland China will resume.
Can I get a refund on my BA flights?
Is it safe to travel to Thailand?
Is it safe to travel to Japan as the coronavirus spreads?
To avoid the illness, take usual hygiene precautions, such as using a tissue to cover coughs and sneezes, and making sure to wash your hands.
Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth after touching things like poles on public transport and avoid close contact with people suffering an acute respiratory infection.
You should also avoid unprotected contact with wild or farm animals.
So far, eight cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK.
Hundreds have been tested for it here, with most of the tests coming back negative.
How many people in the UK have it?
The virus originated in the city of Wuhan in China, where it is believed to have made the jump from animals to people at a seafood market.
Wuhan is the capital of China’s Hubei province, a landlocked province in central China.
It is built along the Yangtze river, and is around 500 miles west of Shanghai and 690 miles north of Hong Kong.
It is the largest and most populous city in central China, although estimates over its population vary.
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