Omicron, Kraken, Eris: how Covid-19 variant naming systems have evolved along with new strains

Naming of Covid variants and subvariants has gone from Greek letters (Alpha, Delta Omicron) to mythological creatures (Kraken) and now astronomical names

One of the most recent subvariants bears a significant moniker: Eris, a dwarf planet but also a Greco-Roman goddess insatiable in her desire for bloodshed

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Around August 2022, names of Greek mythological creatures were adopted for Covid-19 variants for clearer (and catchier) identification. Kraken received particular attention, but was critiqued for excessively fearful connotations. A system using astronomical names has since been used. Photo: Getty Images

Lisa Lim has held professoriate positions at universities in Singapore, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Sydney, and Perth, including as Head of the School of English at the University of Hong Kong.

Published: 7:45am, 8 Jan 2024

We wish each other a happy new year, but we carry over our troubles from the previous. Sars-CoV-2 continues to circulate in the global population, with several new strains evolving.

To classify and name distinct lineages, scientists developed the Phylogenetic Assignment of Named Global Outbreak (Pango) lineages nomenclature, using Latin alphabet letters and numbers, with each dot representing “descendant of”.

Non-scientists, however, had been referring to variants by the country in which they were first detected: “Wuhan virus”, “UK variant”.

In May 2021, to avoid stigmatising associations and to simplify public communications, the World Health Organization introduced its Greek alphabet system, assigning Greek letters to those variants considered a significant new threat.

“Wuhan virus” was an informal name some used to refer to the Covid-19 virus. Photo: Getty Images

After Alpha, Beta, Gamma, the dominant Delta and eight other major variants thereafter, this system has become less illuminating.