From https://www.who.int/en/activities/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants/
SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern and Variants of Interest, updated 31 May 2021
Variants of Concern
A SARS-CoV-2 variant that meets the definition of a VOI (see below) and, through a comparative assessment, has been demonstrated to be associated with one or more of the following changes at a degree of global public health significance:
- Increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology; or
- Increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; or
- Decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics.
| WHO label | Pango lineage | GISAID clade/lineage | Nextstrain clade | Earliest documented samples | Date of designation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | B.1.1.7 | GRY (formerly GR/501Y.V1) | 20I/S:501Y.V1 | United Kingdom, Sep-2020 | 18-Dec-2020 |
| Beta | B.1.351 | GH/501Y.V2 | 20H/S:501Y.V2 | South Africa, May-2020 | 18-Dec-2020 |
| Gamma | P.1 | GR/501Y.V3 | 20J/S:501Y.V3 | Brazil, Nov-2020 | 11-Jan-2021 |
| Delta | B.1.617.2 | G/452R.V3 | 21A/S:478K | India, Oct-2020 | VOI: 4-Apr-2021 VOC: 11-May-2021 |
Variants of Interest
A SARS-CoV-2 isolate is a Variant of Interest (VOI) if, compared to a reference isolate, its genome has mutations with established or suspected phenotypic implications, and either:
- has been identified to cause community transmission/multiple COVID-19 cases/clusters, or has been detected in multiple countries; OR
- is otherwise assessed to be a VOI by WHO in consultation with the WHO SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution Working Group.
| WHO label | Pango lineage | GISAID clade/lineage | Nextstrain clade | Earliest documented samples | Date of designation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epsilon | B.1.427/B.1.429 | GH/452R.V1 | 20C/S.452R | United States of America, Mar-2020 | 5-Mar-2021 |
| Zeta | P.2 | GR | 20B/S.484K | Brazil, Apr-2020 | 17-Mar-2021 |
| Eta | B.1.525 | G/484K.V3 | 20A/S484K | Multiple countries, Dec-2020 | 17-Mar-2021 |
| Theta | P.3 | GR | 20B/S:265C | Philippines, Jan-2021 | 24-Mar-2021 |
| Iota | B.1.526 | GH | 20C/S:484K | United States of America, Nov-2020 | 24-Mar-2021 |
| Kappa | B.1.617.1 | G/452R.V3 | 21A/S:154K | India, Oct-2020 | 4-Apr-2021 |
Erasmid 