Do you struggle with remembering the names COVID-19 variants? WHO has announced a new naming system it devised for variants of interest and variants of concern, the forms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with important mutations. Here they are:
VARIANTS OF CONCERN
Alpha- B.1.1.7
The variant first identified in the United Kingdom in September 2020 was first confirmed in Canada in December 2020. It has been known as the B117 variant. It has now been designated as Alpha.
Beta- B.1.351
Lineage B.1.351 is a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in the Nelson Mandela Bay[5] metropolitan area of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Gamma- P.1
Brazil’s P1 coronavirus variant, behind the deadly COVID-19 surge in the Latin American country had raised international alarm.
Delta- B.1.617.2
The B.1.617.2 variant of COVID-19 is believed to have led to a devastating second wave of the pandemic in India, crippling healthcare infrastructure in the country and resulting in thousands of deaths every day.
VARIANTS OF INTEREST
As for VOIs identified in the United States, Brazil, Philippines and other countries, the WHO has used nomenclature like ‘Epsilon’, ‘Zeta’, ‘Iota’, ‘Theta’ and more. The B.1.617.1 strain, also first identified in India, has been named as ‘Kappa variant’.
Why Were Greek Names Chosen?
The WHO has been trying to come up with simplified new nomenclature for the variants for several months.While they have their advantages, these scientific names can be difficult to say and recall, and are prone to misreporting. To avoid this and to simplify public communications, WHO encourages national authorities, media outlets and others to adopt these new labels. In May, United States President Joe Biden signed a hate crimes law aimed at protecting Asian Americans who have suffered a surge in attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic.US anti-extremism groups say the number of attacks and hate crimes against Asian Americans has exploded since the beginning of the crisis.The authorities have laid some of the blame with former President Donald Trump, who repeatedly referred to Covid-19 as the “China virus”.
Why Are Tracking Mutations Important?
All viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, change over time. Most changes have little to no impact on the virus’ properties. However, some changes may affect the virus’s properties, such as how easily it spreads, the associated disease severity, or the performance of vaccines, therapeutic medicines, diagnostic tools, or other public health and social measures.
WHO, in collaboration with partners, expert networks, national authorities, institutions and researchers have been monitoring and assessing the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 since January 2020. During late 2020, the emergence of variants that posed an increased risk to global public health prompted the characterisation of specific Variants of Interest (VOIs) and Variants of Concern (VOCs), in order to prioritise global monitoring and research, and ultimately to inform the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
( With Inputs from WHO)