The latest Corona variant, Omikron, has been classified as “worrying” by the WHO. Where her name comes from and why it was given to her.
Johannesburg – The new variant of the coronavirus discovered in South Africa with the scientific name B.1.1.529 is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “worrying”, as the UN agency announced on Friday (26.11.021) after deliberations. As such, the variant was given the name Omikron by the WHO.
According to the WHO, the name is given in order to simplify the public discourse about the virus variants outside of the scientific context. The naming follows the letters of the Greek alphabet, starting with alpha. These terms were chosen in order to give the variants names that are easy to pronounce and do not entail any stigmatization.
The last variant that was much discussed and known in public, which was named after this system, was the delta variant (B.1.617.2) of the coronavirus. Delta, the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, first appeared in Germany on March 18, 2021. Just two months later, the WHO classified it as a “variant of concern” (VOC).
Corona variants: from delta to omicron? The names according to WHO nomenclature
Now the name Omicron appears, already the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet. However, there is no gap in the naming: The names of the variants that have been named in the meantime are simply not as well known as their successor Omikron. Because the WHO not only names the “variant of concern” (VOC), but also those that are classified as “variant of interest” (VOI) or just as “variant under monitoring” , VUM).
Omikron is considered a worrying variant, as it is to be feared that this virus variant could be more contagious or lead to severe disease courses. There is a risk that conventional vaccinations, medication or corona measures will be less effective. Omikron has a large number of mutations, some of which are worrying, according to the WHO. Preliminary evidence indicated an increased risk of reinfection with this variant compared to other variants of concern. (n / A)
