Thread by @bobscartoons

A lot of people are still confused about the difference between Sars-CoV-2 (the virus) and COVID-19 (the disease), and why it matters.
Several have suggested it's just semantics. I don't think it is and I will try to explain why. (thread)

H1N1 is a respiratory virus. If you contract that virus, you will likely have mild symptoms. We refer to this as a COLD.

In rarer cases, H1N1 can lead to a more severe collection of symptoms, characterising a disease we call INFLUENZA.

SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus. If you contract that virus, you will likely have mild symptoms. We refer to this as a COLD.

In rarer cases, SARS-CoV-2 can lead to a more severe collection of symptoms, characterising a disease we call COVID-19.

Conflating the virus and the disease is like calling all colds influenza. This is not a problem of semantics, it is a public health issue. By referring to the virus and the disease interchangeably, we end up with headlines like this:

COVID-19: 'The worst illness I've ever had', says medical expert

A further 68,000 cases of COVID reported in ONE DAY

It is obvious to me that this can lead to unnecessary panic and convince people to accept disproportionate and dangerous measures in order to mitigate the spread of the virus.
In my view, SAGE and the gov. are aware of this. Hence the common use of the meaningless term, 'COVID'.