Okay, so all anyone has been able to talk about for the last couple of weeks is the novel coronavirus, SARS-2-CoV, which causes COVID-19, but I have to address something that’s been bugging me since this first popped up in Wuhan in January.
As an editor, I’m always delighted to learn new words, but on the same note, it also drives me insane when I learn a word that seems to be something that literally everyone should have known but didn’t, and then it starts to become like some weird reverse Mandela effect, something that’s always been around but I don’t remember it at all.
Oh, coronavirus? Yes, the common cold, this word has been around for more than fifty years. Meanwhile I’m just like, okay so is it just that I’m not a medical professional? Or have we merged with another universe and suddenly “common cold” is “coronavirus” and eeeveryone knows it.
Or is it simply that this word is finally famous after all this time getting people sick?
Word fame! It’s a thing. 🙂
Stay healthy and be prepared, everyone!