Short answer: Coronavirus is the family of viruses that can cause various diseases in humans. Covid-19 is the infectious disease derived from the virus called SARS-CoV-2 (from the Coronavirus family) whose main symptoms are fever, cough, headache and muscle aches.
Why Coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that, as the World Health Organization points out, “can cause very diverse diseases in humans” ranging from common colds to more serious diseases such as respiratory distress.
The word“Coronavirus” means “crown virus” in Latin. Through a vision of an electron microscope, the virus has the appearance of a solar corona with large bulbous projections called virions surrounded by spades-shaped peplomers denoting the viral envelope.
Why Covid 19?
In January 2020, China discovered a new virus: SARS-CoV-2 (a scientific name forSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2) that is part of the Coronavirus family. Covid 19 is the infectious disease caused by this virus that can cause fever, cough, headache, muscle aches and, for the most severe cases, respiratory distress. The word“Covid 19” was not chosen at random and can be dissected in four parts
| “covid 19″ | “corona” (“crown” in Latin) |
| “covid 19″ | “virus” |
| “covid 19″ | “disease” |
| “covid 19″ | “2019” (the year of its discovery) |
Sources:
- who.int (Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it)
- edition.cnn.com (What is coronavirus and Covid-19? An explainer)
