When should I use "SARS-COV2" or "COVID-19"? [closed]

I am writing a formal paper that deals with the broad national implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in my country, and I am stumped as to how to refer to the virus (the pathogen) and the disease (the visible symptoms). During this whole time I was under the assumption that "COVID-19" and "SARS-COV2" were like "HIV" and "AIDS" respectively, i.e. COVID-19 was the virus and SARS-COV2 was the visible symptoms. However, I just went to read the WHO's official documents, and I only ended up more confused than before.

According to WHO's official guidelines on naming the disease, apparently neither is true. Instead, I'm supposed to use only "COVID-19" to avoid associations with the old 2003 SARS, and when I have to refer to the virus or the symptoms specifically, I'm supposed to use something like "the virus responsible for COVID-19" or "the symptoms of COVID-19".

What is the correct nomenclature to refer to the virus and the symptoms of COVID-19?

Solution 1:

According to the opening of the guidelines, you should use COVID-19 to refer to the disease, and SARS-CoV-2 to refer to the virus. In a formal paper I would establish these terms at the beginning. I would not expect readers of a formal paper to be confused between the 2003 SARS and the new disease.