[Ads-l] origin of the term "coronavirus"

[Barretts Mail]

> On 16 Mar 2020, at 10:48, Mark Mandel <markamandel at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> As it's the only coronavirus known to the vast majority of (especially
> non-technical) speakers, how is it different from "home" and "the office"
> for "my home" and "my office"?
> MAM
> 
> 
> On Mon, Mar 16, 2020, 1:12 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> It's already being used non-technically as an exact synonym for "COVID-19."
>> 
>> JL

Although I try to keep the terms separate, it’s difficult. If you’re concerned about getting the disease, there isn’t really any difference in general between talking about the disease itself and the virus that causes it. 

> I don’t want to get the coronvirus
> I don’t want to get covid-19

And this differentiation is not something that comes up in layperson conversations with other diseases, making it difficult to form an analogy. Orthomyxoviridae is only for the experts, and while rhinovirus has more currency than Orthomyxoviridae, it’s still not on the tip of most people’s tongues.

While most people certainly are not familiar with the word coronavirus outside of this novel type that causes covid-19, the general term “coronavirus” it is listed on the side of products such as Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.

The rampant capitalization as COVID-19 or Covid-19 seems unnecessary but I don’t think I’ve seen any cases completely in lower case.

Benjamin Barrett (he/his/him)
Formerly of Seattle, WA
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