World Health Organization (WHO) has announced new names for COVID-19 variants.
Gatekeepers News reports that WHO assigned new names for key variants of COVID-19 using letters of the Greek alphabet, to avoid misreporting and stigmatising nations where they were first detected.
The new system applies to Variants of Interest (VOIs) and Variants of Concern (VOCs), which are four in circulation (the UK, South Africa, Brazil and India variants).
“While they have their advantages, these scientific names can be difficult to say and recall and are prone to misreporting,” the WHO said in a statement.
“As a result, people often resort to calling variants by the places where they are detected, which is stigmatising and discriminatory.”
Gatekeepers reports that the WHO named the new variants; Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta.
The new names, according to the World Health Organisation, were chosen after wide consultation and a review of many potential naming systems.
“…expert group convened by WHO has recommended using labelled using letters of the Greek Alphabet, i.e., Alpha, Beta, Gamma, which will be easier and more practical to discussed by non-scientific audiences,” a statement seen by Gatekeepers News on WHO’s website reads.
WHO’s COVID-19 technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, in a tweet seen by Gatekeepers News, noted that “the labels don’t replace existing scientific names, which convey important scientific information and will continue to be used in research.
“These labels will help with public discussion about VOC/VOI as the numbering system can be difficult to follow.”
WHO urged media outlets and national authorities to adopt the new labels.
Today, @WHO announces new, easy-to-say labels for #SARSCoV2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) & Interest (VOIs)
They will not replace existing scientific names, but are aimed to help in public discussion of VOI/VOC
Read more here (will be live soon):
https://t.co/VNvjJn8Xcv#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/L9YOfxmKW7— Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) May 31, 2021
