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WHO skips “Nu” and “Xi” to name new Omicron COVID-19 variant


The World Health Organization announced a new and potentially more dangerous COVID-19 variant spreading across the globe called Omicron. Here’s how WHO named this variant. 

In May, WHO announced it would use the Greek alphabet to name new COVID-19 variants, a practice once used by The National Hurricane Center when naming hurricanes. 

Since implementing the new practice, WHO has named Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron COVID-19 variants. 

Prior to naming Omicron, WHO decided to skip the letter Nu because it sounds like “new” and the letter Xi because it’s a commonly used surname in China. (Just look to Chinese President Xi Jinping.)

Variants of Interest

The other letters, such as Lambda and Mu, are considered Variants of Interest by WHO. Greek letters Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota and Kappa, were previously labelled as Variants of Interest but have been downgraded. 

Variants of Concern

Before Omicron, the 15th letter in the Greek alphabet, most people were familiar with the Delta variant of COVID-19. That’s because it rose to become a Variant of Concern, the highest alert level from the WHO. 

Why did the WHO make this change? 

WHO decided to use the Greek alphabet to name variants to make it easier for the public and scientific community to pronounce and remember variant names. It also prevents the public from calling variants based on the places they were first detected, which WHO says can be “stigmatizing and discriminatory.” 

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JIMMIE: THE LATEST COVID VARIANT SPREADING ACROSS THE GLOBE IS CAUSING COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKE NOTICE. 

IT’S CALLED (AA·MUH·KRAAN) OMICRON. 

IF YOU PLEDGED IN FRATERNITY OR SORORITY YOU KNOW IT’S THE 14TH LETTER IN THE GREEK ALPHABET. 

HOW DID IT GET ITS NAME? LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT. 

EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER DITCHED USING THE GREEK ALPHABET TO NAME STORMS WHILE THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECIDED TO USE IT TO NAME COVID VARIANTS. 

SO WHY THE CHANGE?

ONE — TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE PUBLIC AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY TO PRONOUNCE AND REMEMBER.

TWO — TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM CALLING VARIANTS BY THE PLACES THEY WERE DETECTED, WHICH THE WHO SAYS CAN BE STIGMATIZING AND DISCRIMINATORY. 

SO FAR, ALPHA, BETA, EPSILON, GAMMA, AND (AA·MUH·KRAAN) OMICRON HAVE BEEN NAMED AFTER COVID-19 VARIANTS. LAMBDA AND MU ARE CONSIDERED VARIANTS OF INTEREST. 

BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO EPSILON, ZETA, ETA, THETA, IOTA, KAPPA, NU, AND (ZAI) XI? 

WELL, EPSILON, ZETA, ETA, THETA, IOTA, AND KAPPA WERE VARIANTS OF INTEREST BUT HAVE SINCE BEEN DOWNGRADED.

HOWEVER, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECIDED NOT TO USE NU BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE “NEW” IN AS IN N-E-W AND (ZAI) XI BECAUSE IT’S SUCH A COMMON SURNAME IN CHINA. SO THEY SKIPPED STRAIGHT TO (AA·MUH·KRAAN) OMICRON. NEXT UP, PI. 

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW COVID VARIANTS ARE NAMED?

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.