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 | Earliest Documented Samples |
| Alpha | B.1.1.7 | UK – Sep 2020 |
| Beta | B.1.351 | South Africa – May 2020 |
| Gamma | P.1 | Brazil – Nov 2020 |
| Delta | B.1.617.2 | India – Oct 2020 |
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 | Earliest Documented Samples |
| Epsilon | B.1.427 / B.1.429 | US – March 2020 |
| Zeta | P.2 | Brazil – Apr 2020 |
| Eta | B.1.525 | Multiple Countries – Dec 2020 |
| Thea | P.3 | Philippines – Jan 2021 |
| Iota | B.1.526 | US – Nov 2020 |
| Kappa | B.1.617.1 | India – Oct 2020 |
World Health Organisation (WHO), 15th June 2021
