Coronavirus iri mu muryango mugari wa za virusi zitera indwara zitandukanye harimo indwara zoroheje nk’ibicurane n’izikomeye nk’iz’ubuhumekero zikomeye bita (MERS-CoV), n’iz’ubuhumekero zikakaye nka (SARS-CoV).

Ku itariki ya 7 Mutarama 2020, ubwoko bushya bwa virusi bwari butaragaragara mu bantu bwabonetse mu Bushinwa, bukaba buzwi ku izina rya Coronavirus; zikaba zibarizwa mu muryango wa virusi zitera ibicurane, SRAS na MERS.

Ku ikubitiro iyo virusi yagaragaye mu isoko ry’inyama n’amafi riherereye mu mujyi wa Wuhan, mu Ntara ya Hubei mu Bushinwa. Iyo virusi ihita ifata izina rya 2019-nCoV cyangwa Coronavirus nshya.