: the coronavirus (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 of the genus Betacoronavirus) that is the causative agent of COVID-19

Examples of SARS-CoV-2 in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The researchers tested the new tool against 177 viral-spiked patient samples and 130 viral-spiked serum samples infected with a range of pathogens – SARS-CoV-2, HIV, HBV, or HCV. Bronwyn Thompson, New Atlas, 3 June 2025 Governments around the world issued lockdown orders to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from spreading, leaving many businesses struggling to survive. Leigh Morgan, Quartz, 2 June 2025 However, incomplete knowledge of prolonged symptoms experienced after a young child’s own SARS-CoV-2 infection hinders prevention and treatment of LC in infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children. Anuradha Varanasi, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025 Covid-19 SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, continues to evolve. Jade Walker, CNN Money, 30 May 2025 Public-health experts have warned for months that the COVID-19 virus isn’t gone—and, far from waning, SARS-CoV-2 has mutated yet again into a new variant. Alice Park, Time, 28 May 2025 The molecular epidemiology of multiple zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2 Cell. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2025 Their new framework does not make any mention of what will happen if a more dangerous SARS-CoV-2 variant emerges. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025 Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that the virus, SARS-CoV-2, infected 778 million people and killed 7.1 million from the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020 through March 2025. Amita Gupta, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2020, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of SARS-CoV-2 was in 2020

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Cite this Entry

“SARS-CoV-2.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/SARS-CoV-2. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Medical Definition

SARS-CoV-2

noun
: the coronavirus (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 of the genus Betacoronavirus) that is the causative agent of COVID-19 see delta variant, omicron variant
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