The official name for the virus that is causing the current pandemic is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19, as per the World Health Organization. CO stands for corona, VI for virus ad D for disease.
Previously, this virus was referred to as 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV. A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are many types of human coronaviruses, including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19, however, is a new disease that has not previously been seen in humans.
COVID-19 is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illnesses, like the common cold.