The idea is to make communication simpler- 'easy to pronounce' and 'non-stigmatising' labels for the SARS-CoV-2 variant of interest (VOI) and a variant of concern (VOC). When the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet are used up, World Health Organisation (WHO) will announce another series. The B.1.617.2 variant, first found in India and recently reclassified from a variant of interest to variant of concern, is 'Delta'. WHO said that while scientific names have advantages, they can be difficult to say and are prone to misreporting. Now there will be three potential names - their scientific name, references based on where a variant was first identified, and WHO's Greek alphabet labeling.

Source: dna June 01, 2021 11:48 UTC