4 ms·

The relevant paper: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/03/03/science.abb2762/tab-pdf https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/03/03/scie

by pdm55 7y ago

The relevant paper: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/03/03/science.abb2762/tab-pdf https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/03/03/scie... Note: Official names have been announced for the virus responsible for COVID-19 (previously known as “2019 novel coronavirus”) and the disease it causes. The official names are: Disease coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2...

burfog 7y ago
Yes, just like Bos taurus is the official name for a cow. Normal people call it "cow". The common name for the virus is Wuhan virus. There is an effort by the Chinese government to pressure people, especially news media, into not using the common name. It's sad to see Hacker News caving in to this. Articles with "Wuhan" in the name are not showing up; they seem to be blocked. No, it isn't offensive. We frequently name diseases after locations. Ebola is an example. MERS is an example. Spanish Flu is an example.
- jlmorton 7y ago
  > The common name for the virus is Wuhan virus. Except the common name for the virus is _not_ wuhanvirus. This simple fact destroys your entire point. The virus is overwhelmingly known as coronavirus, and less known by it's official WHO designation SARS-CoV-2, or the illness it causes, Coronavirus disease. It's true that we sometimes refer to novel pathogens by their first known origin, but it's hardly a general rule. We don't call SARS foshanvirus, and we don't call H1N1 American flu. If you used any of these names, no one would know what you're talking about. It's not particularly strange for the public to refer to a novel virus by it's original location, but it is extremely strange when people want to redefine the common name as location-based when it's already widely known by a different, more distinguishing name. Your point is that the thoughtpolice are out in full force to redefine our language in politically correct terms. But that's not what's happening at all. The entire world already knows the virus by an altogether different name, and it is you out to redefine it by its location, a less distinguishing feature.
  - burfog 7y ago
    Coronavirus is a less distinguishing name. There are many types of coronavirus, including SARS and MERS. There are types of coronavirus that are only in animals. Here is the media prior to the thoughtpolice, using the common name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LT_up3ltqo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LT_up3ltqo
    - jlmorton 7y ago
      The WHO has already named the virus SARS-CoV-2, which perfectly distinguishes it. Commonly, the pathogen is referred to as coronavirus. As I said, I don't have any particular problem with naming a virus after its location. I think it's natural to do so when a novel pathogen arises in a particular area. But that doesn't mean we have to. Billions around the world are calling it simply coronavirus, the WHO has named it SARS-CoV-2, and its only your small group of right wing activists that are bizarrely insisting we rename the virus. You are the thoughtpolice.
      - burfog 7y ago
        Linnaeus has already named the animal Bos taurus, which perfectly distinguishes it. Commonly, the animal is referred to as livestock. ... No, we're going to call it "cow".
        jlmorton 7y ago
        I think it's pretty clear why you are insisting on calling this disease wuhanvurus and have no major complaint about H1N1. It is pathetically transparent and not a great look.
- Fnoord 7y ago
  > The common name for the virus is Wuhan virus. Not anymore. It was a casual name for the virus in the very beginning, but not according to WHO standards. If the Chinese government discourages people to use the name Wuhan virus, they are right in their argument. If they use force to enforce this discouragement, that's over the top IMO, but it is an authoritarian regime so its within their character to do so. > No, it isn't offensive. We frequently name diseases after locations. Ebola is an example. MERS is an example. Spanish Flu is an example. WHO recommends not to, and Spanish flu is not descriptive of its origins, as it did not origin from Spain; the rest of the world was just too busy to notice/act on it. [1] [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu
- lovehashbrowns 7y ago
  What's your opinion on this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_Nombre_orthohantavirus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_Nombre_orthohantavirus Discovered in 1993 near the Canyon del Muerte on the Navajo Reservation, it was originally named the Muerto Canyon hantavirus, in keeping with the convention for naming new pathogens.[2] However, the Navajo Nation objected to the name in 1994.[3] It was also near the Four Corners point in the United States, so the virologists then tried naming it the "Four Corners virus". The name was changed after local residents raised objections.[4] In frustration, the virologists changed it to Sin Nombre, meaning "without a name" in Spanish. Was that the Chinese government also pressuring people into not wanting to use the common name? Or is it that using the location in the name of a disease just kind of a jerk-thing to do?
fuzzfactor 7y ago
The artwork on this Science PDF looks excellent. However, on the Linux I am using, the text color on the images is not fully consistent with the art, nor is its description below the figures. This can get more confusing with the superimposed structures in Figure 5.

by pdm55 7y ago

burfog 7y ago

Yes, just like Bos taurus is the official name for a cow. Normal people call it "cow". The common name for the virus is Wuhan virus. There is an effort by the Chinese government to pressure people, especially news media, into not using the common name. It's sad to see Hacker News caving in to this. Articles with "Wuhan" in the name are not showing up; they seem to be blocked. No, it isn't offensive. We frequently name diseases after locations. Ebola is an example. MERS is an example. Spanish Flu is an example.

jlmorton 7y ago
> The common name for the virus is Wuhan virus. Except the common name for the virus is _not_ wuhanvirus. This simple fact destroys your entire point. The virus is overwhelmingly known as coronavirus, and less known by it's official WHO designation SARS-CoV-2, or the illness it causes, Coronavirus disease. It's true that we sometimes refer to novel pathogens by their first known origin, but it's hardly a general rule. We don't call SARS foshanvirus, and we don't call H1N1 American flu. If you used any of these names, no one would know what you're talking about. It's not particularly strange for the public to refer to a novel virus by it's original location, but it is extremely strange when people want to redefine the common name as location-based when it's already widely known by a different, more distinguishing name. Your point is that the thoughtpolice are out in full force to redefine our language in politically correct terms. But that's not what's happening at all. The entire world already knows the virus by an altogether different name, and it is you out to redefine it by its location, a less distinguishing feature.
- burfog 7y ago
  Coronavirus is a less distinguishing name. There are many types of coronavirus, including SARS and MERS. There are types of coronavirus that are only in animals. Here is the media prior to the thoughtpolice, using the common name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LT_up3ltqo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LT_up3ltqo
  - jlmorton 7y ago
    The WHO has already named the virus SARS-CoV-2, which perfectly distinguishes it. Commonly, the pathogen is referred to as coronavirus. As I said, I don't have any particular problem with naming a virus after its location. I think it's natural to do so when a novel pathogen arises in a particular area. But that doesn't mean we have to. Billions around the world are calling it simply coronavirus, the WHO has named it SARS-CoV-2, and its only your small group of right wing activists that are bizarrely insisting we rename the virus. You are the thoughtpolice.
    - burfog 7y ago
      Linnaeus has already named the animal Bos taurus, which perfectly distinguishes it. Commonly, the animal is referred to as livestock. ... No, we're going to call it "cow".
      - jlmorton 7y ago
        I think it's pretty clear why you are insisting on calling this disease wuhanvurus and have no major complaint about H1N1. It is pathetically transparent and not a great look.
Fnoord 7y ago
> The common name for the virus is Wuhan virus. Not anymore. It was a casual name for the virus in the very beginning, but not according to WHO standards. If the Chinese government discourages people to use the name Wuhan virus, they are right in their argument. If they use force to enforce this discouragement, that's over the top IMO, but it is an authoritarian regime so its within their character to do so. > No, it isn't offensive. We frequently name diseases after locations. Ebola is an example. MERS is an example. Spanish Flu is an example. WHO recommends not to, and Spanish flu is not descriptive of its origins, as it did not origin from Spain; the rest of the world was just too busy to notice/act on it. [1] [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu
lovehashbrowns 7y ago
What's your opinion on this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_Nombre_orthohantavirus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_Nombre_orthohantavirus Discovered in 1993 near the Canyon del Muerte on the Navajo Reservation, it was originally named the Muerto Canyon hantavirus, in keeping with the convention for naming new pathogens.[2] However, the Navajo Nation objected to the name in 1994.[3] It was also near the Four Corners point in the United States, so the virologists then tried naming it the "Four Corners virus". The name was changed after local residents raised objections.[4] In frustration, the virologists changed it to Sin Nombre, meaning "without a name" in Spanish. Was that the Chinese government also pressuring people into not wanting to use the common name? Or is it that using the location in the name of a disease just kind of a jerk-thing to do?

fuzzfactor 7y ago

The artwork on this Science PDF looks excellent. However, on the Linux I am using, the text color on the images is not fully consistent with the art, nor is its description below the figures. This can get more confusing with the superimposed structures in Figure 5.