2012年7月、エラスムス大学医療センターで新型コロナウイルスが分離された[10]。エラスムス大学医療センターにちなんで、当初はHCoV-EMC（Human coronavirus- Erasmus Medical Center,ヒトコロナウイルス-エラスムス大学医療センター)と呼ばれていた[10][12]。
^"Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia: human isolate" ProMED-mail 2012-09-20 15:51:26, Posted by Dr. Ali Mohamed Zaki on Sat 15 Sep 2012。Isolation of a Novel Coronavirus from a Man with Pneumonia in Saudi Arabia New England Journal of Medicine, 2012; 367:1814-1820, November 8, 2012, Advance online edition Oct 17, 2012。"We estimated that the date of the most recent common ancestor of MERS-CoV was August 18, 2011 (95% highest posterior density [HPD, intervals for nucleotide sequences], November 1, 2009, to April 14, 2012). The date of the divergence of the Al-Hasa lineage was December 6, 2012 (95% HPD, July 18, 2012, to February 3, 2013), and the date of the most recent common ancestor of the Al-Hasa lineage was April 2, 2013 (95% HPD, February 7, 2013, to April 21, 2013)" June 19, 2013 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1306742。We are also aware of a small number of other cases of serious respiratory illness in the Middle East in the past three months, one of whom was treated in the UK but has since died. (HPA Sep 23, 2012)
^The Coronavirus Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses
^“Looking at the overall global situation, my greatest concern right now is the novel coronavirus. We understand too little about this virus when viewed against the magnitude of its potential threat. Any new disease that is emerging faster than our understanding is never under control.” “These are alarm bells and we must respond. The novel coronavirus is not a problem that any single affected country can keep to itself or manage all by itself. The novel coronavirus is a threat to the entire world.”。Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly closes with concern over new global health threat WHO Press-Release, 27 May 2013。WHO Director-General praises the World Health Assembly for its work Closing remarks at the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland 27 May 2013
^"The belief that a virus has a greater chance of destroying life on earth, than do nuclear weapons, is not solely science fiction. Many biologists and biochemists have come to the same conclusion" Virus not Nuclear Weapons Will Destroy Life on Earth The Guadian Express, June 3, 2013.
