WHO release new names of covid variant, labels B.1.617.2 as 'Delta'

Geneva, Jane 01: After the Indian government's objection, World Health Organisation has announced the new names to various COVID-19 variants and termed B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 variants of the COVID-19, which was first found in India, as 'Kappa' and 'Delta'. As per the health agency, all the variants of the COVID-19 virus have been named in Greek letters.

 

While announcing the nomenclature based on Greek alphabets, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, Technical lead COVID-19 said that "The labels don’t replace existing scientific names, which convey important scientific information and will continue to be used in research. No country should be stigmatized for detecting and reporting COVID variants."

 

United Nations health agency has labeled the B.1.1.7 strain identified first in the United Kingdom as Alpha whereas the B.1.351 strain - first identified in South Africa - as Beta. Moreover, the variant P.1 found in Brazil is named Gamma.

 

 

 

 

The purpose of naming the coronavirus variants as Greek letters is to prevent the association of these variants as the names of countries.

 

Earlier Indian govt took the objection for terming B.1.617 variant as the Indian variant. “Several media reports have covered the news of WHO classifying B.1.617 as a variant of global concern. Some of these reports have termed the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus as an ‘Indian Variant’. These media reports are without any basis, and unfounded,” the Indian government said in a statement.

 

 

 

“This is to clarify that WHO has not associated the term ‘Indian Variant’ with the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus in its 32-page document. The word ‘Indian’ has not been used in its report on the matter,” the government had said.According to the WHO, B.1.617 variants were officially recorded in 53 territories and unofficially in another seven. The WHO has classified the lineage of B.1.617 as a variant of concern (VOC).

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