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All viruses — including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 — change over time.
Experts have warned that the virus that caused a global pandemic will continue evolving as it continues to spread around the world. Some of these changes may impact how easily the virus spreads, the severity of symptoms, the efficacy of vaccines, and other properties.
There are several new variants that researchers are monitoring closely, including B.1.621, also known as Mu, and C.1.2, which some are suggesting is a variant with multiple mutations.
And these are just the variants we’ve been able to identify.
The World Health Organization along with other networks has been monitoring and assessing the evolution of the virus that causes COVID-19 since January 2020. Later in the year, variants emerged, prompting the United Nations agency to break them down into two categories: variants of interest (VOIs) and variants of concern (VOCs) to help in the response to the pandemic. VOCs are those VOIs shown to be more serious — more transmissible, or more resistant to vaccines or other measures.
An expert group convened by WHO recommended using letters of the Greek alphabet, i.e., Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta to make it easier and more practical to discuss the variants with “non-scientific audiences.”
As new COVID-19 variants continue to mutate and threaten countries across the globe, here’s a look into the various strains and their origins.
Variant: B.1.1.7
WHO Label: Alpha
Status: VOC
First identified: United Kingdom
Description: This variant spreads faster than other variants. Scientists say there is a possibility that new infections are associated with an increased risk of death.
Date of Designation: Dec. 18, 2020
Variant: B.1.351
WHO Label: Beta
Status: VOC
First identified: South Africa
Description: First emerged in October 2020 in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.
Date of Designation: Dec. 18, 2020
Variant: P.1
WHO Label: Gamma
Status: VOC
First identified: Brazil
Description: Initially identified in travellers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at an airport in Japan, in early January.
Date of Designation: Jan. 11, 2021
Variant: B.1.617.2
WHO Label: Delta
Status: VOC
First identified: India
Description: The Delta variant has multiple mutations that appear to give it an advantage over other strains. It is more transmissible, which would also make it the most dangerous variant yet. One study indicated B.1.617.2 may be more transmissible than the original strain of the coronavirus.
Date of Designation: April 4, 2021
Variant: B.1.525
WHO Label: Eta
Status: VOI
First identified: Multiple countries
Date of Designation: March 17, 2021
Variant: B.1.526
WHO Label: Iota
Status: VOI
First identified: United States of America
Date of Designation: March 24 2021
Variant: B.1.617.1
WHO Label: Kappa
Status: VOI
First identified: India
Date of Designation: April 4, 2021
Variant: C.37
WHO Label: Lambda
Status: VOI
First identified: Peru
Date of Designation: June 14, 2021
Variant: B.1.621
WHO Label: Mu
Status: VOI
First identified: Colombia
Date of Designation: Aug. 30, 2021
Delta, Alpha, Beta, Mu (and many more). Here’s an easy-to-understand list of COVID-19 variants - Toronto Star
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