WHO Gives Virus Variants New Names, Drawing From Greek Alphabet
By Will Davies
Bloomberg
With coronavirus variants sweeping the globe, the World Health Organization has devised a less technical way of describing them than their scientific, number-heavy names — using the Greek alphabet.
Deploying letters like Alpha, Beta and Gamma — instead of B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and P.1 — to refer to the variants will make it “easier and more practical” to discuss them with non-scientific audiences, the WHO said in a statement. The organization convened a group of scientists to consider easy-to-pronounce and non-stigmatizing labels for the virus strains, which it divides into categories as “of interest” and “of concern.”
Established nomenclature systems for naming and tracking genetic lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 virus will still be used by scientists and in research, the WHO said.
Variants of Concern
| NEW WHO LABEL | PANGO LINEAGE | EARLIEST SAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha | B.1.1.7 | U.K. (September 2020) |
| Beta | B.1.351 | South Africa (May 2020) |
| Gamma | P.1 | Brazil (November 2020) |
| Delta | B.1.617.2 | India (October 2020) |
Variants of Interest
| NEW WHO LABEL | PANGO LINEAGE | EARLIEST SAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| Epsilon | B.1.427/B.1.429 | U.S. (March 2020) |
| Zeta | P.2 | Brazil (April 2020) |
| Eta | B.1.525 | Many Countries (December 2020) |
| Theta | P.3 | Philippines (January 2021) |
| Iota | B.1.526 | U.S. (November 2020) |
| Kappa | B.1.617.1 | India (October 2020) |