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COVID-19 Capitalization

CoronaVirus, corona virus, coronavirus? This Grammar.com article will tell you the right way to identify COVID-19.

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  ryan  —  Grammar Tips
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The word "coronavirus" is not a proper noun, and is not the name of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Therefore, "CoronaVirus", "Coronavirus", and "Corona Virus" are invalid. Adding a space, like in "corona virus", is also invalid.

You can't say someone "got coronavirus", but you can say someone "got the coronavirus", or "got COVID-19". "The" can only be left out if it is a proper noun like if someone gets H.I.V. or A.I.D.S.

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2 Comments
  • Greying_Geezer
    Greying_Geezer
    I have no issues with the gist of this entry, but in the first sentence "COVID-19" should not be used in apposition to "the name of the coronavirus", which is SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 is the name of the disease, COrona VIrus Disease 2019. 
    LikeReply 12 years ago
  • genitallies69
    genitallies69
    is it covid or Covid or COVID if we wanna say it without the -19 and is it rona 'rona Rona or 'Rona
    LikeReply 43 years ago
    • Greying_Geezer
      Greying_Geezer
      To your first question, it is COVID or CoVID because this too is an acronym (https://www.abbreviations.com/term/2192794)
      LikeReply 22 years ago
    • Navy_Josh
      Navy_Josh
      Serious question, if CoVID is accepted, why not CoViD or CoviD?

      What makes [Co]rona[VI]rus [D]isease better than [Co]rona[Vi]rus [D]isease or [Co]rona[vi]rus [D]isease?
      LikeReply9 months ago

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