Does the name of a disease matter? Chinese people’s public perception of the renaming of COVID-19

Background On 7 December 2022, China discontinued its 3-year zero-COVID strategy, and on 26 December 2022, changed the name of COVID-19 from [novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP)] to [novel coronavirus infection (NCI)]. This study examined whether the renaming influenced public perception of COVID-19’s severity right after the change, despite the Omicron variant itself remaining unchanged. Methods A survey was conducted immediately following the renaming in China. Participants were asked to directly compare the two names, and indirectly questioned about their perceptions of the virus. Responses were compared to assess whether linguistic framing with NCP or NCI influenced perceptions Results Direct comparisons showed that 65% of respondents (N = 1256) perceived the new name as less serious and frightening than the old one. However, one-third of participants did not perceive such differences, which was associated with their education level, age, and relationship status. Indirect comparisons revealed that perceived severity of COVID-19 was influenced by an interaction between wording in names and participants’ intensity of COVID-19 experience Conclusions Linguistic framing, personal experience, and sociodemographic factors can all influence disease perceptions during health crises. Optimizing naming strategies can reduce public anxiety and enhance health communication.