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World Health Organization names deadly coronavirus: COVID-19

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), right, and Michael Ryan, left, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies programme, address the media during a press conference at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020 on the situation regarding to the new coronavirus. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP) (Salvatore Di Nolfi)

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday they are naming the deadly coronavirus “COVID-19."

WHO leaders said having a name matters to “prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing" ... and “gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks.”

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During a news conference, the organization said there were 42,708 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in China, surpassing 1,000 deaths -- 1,017 people in China have lost their lives to this virus.

Outside China, there are 393 cases in 24 countries, with one death.

In Michigan, five people have undergone CDC testing for the virus. Each case has returned negative results for COVID-19.


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