Table of contents

  1. Using this guide
  2. Clinically extremely vulnerable
  3. Coronavirus and COVID-19
  4. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
  5. Deaths and COVID-19
  6. Furlough
  7. Local lockdowns and restrictions
  8. Lockdown
  9. Long COVID
  10. New variants of the coronavirus
  11. NHS Test and Trace
  12. Outbreak or pandemic
  13. Pre-coronavirus and pre-lockdown
  14. Quarantine
  15. R number
  16. Self Employment Income Support Scheme Grants
  17. Self-isolation
  18. Shielding
  19. Social distancing
  20. Spread
  21. Support bubble
  22. Vaccines and vaccinations 
  23. Waves

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Coronavirus and COVID-19

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause disease in people and animals. They can cause the common cold or more severe diseases, such as COVID-19. COVID-19 refers to “coronavirus disease 2019” and is a disease that can affect the lungs and airways. 

When talking about coronavirus, you should:  

  • use “coronavirus (COVID-19)” the first time that you refer to it in each section of your article or bulletin  
  • use just “coronavirus” for all subsequent uses in a section when referring to the virus and the coronavirus pandemic in general  
  • use “coronavirus” in lower case unless at the start of a sentence 
  • not add the word “the” before “coronavirus” when it is being used as a noun – for example, “effects of coronavirus on the economy” 
  • include the word “the” when “coronavirus” is being used as an adjective – for example, “the coronavirus pandemic”  
  • use “coronavirus” before “pandemic” the first time that you refer to it in a section –you can just “pandemic” for all subsequent uses in a section 

“COVID-19” should be used for all subsequent uses in a section when referring to the specific disease. For example, “there was an increase in registered deaths involving COVID-19”.  

Questionnaires and respondent materials should use “coronavirus (COVID-19)” for all instances.