Coronavirus Gets A New Name: COVID-19. Here’s Why That Is Important

Coronavirus Gets A New Name: COVID-19. Here’s Why That Is Important

The virus is thought to have originated in the city of Wuhan in China, which led to it being frequently named the "Wuhan coronavirus," or "Chinese coronavirus," but neither of these were official names and some believe they may have contributed to discrimination against Chinese people.. Swine flu," which was actually a flu strain thought to originate in pigs, resulted in consumers shunning pork and causing great financial damage to U.S. pork farmers , despite there being no evidence that the disease could be spread via consuming pork.. The disease has so far been found in 27 different countries, including South Korea which reported a serious hit to its tourism industry when it reported cases in 2015.. Since the incidents, the WHO has decided on names which are more generic and not related to people, places or specific animals..