The variant first identified in India, technically known as B.1.617.2, can now be described as 'Delta' and the so called 'UK variant' as 'Alpha' according to a note from the organization late on Monday. Their public labels will be Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta respectively, after the first four letters of the Greek alphabet. Other variants that too are known to be on the radar but less globally widespread and transmissible, or Variants of Interest, too had Greek names. A sublineage of the B.1.617 family is B.1.617.1 that was identified in India and now bears the popular label 'Kappa.' India's health ministry had objected to Delta being called the India variant, which scientists say is the dominant variant in the country and has been shown to slightly reduce the efficacy of some vaccines.

Source: The Hindu May 31, 2021 18:24 UTC