Variants of Concern (VOC)

Currently designated Variants of Concern (VOCs)+:

WHO label 

Pango  
lineage
GISAID cladeNextstrain clade Additional amino acid changes monitored°Earliest documented  
samples 
Date of designation 

Alpha 

B.1.1.7 

GRY

20I (V1) 

+S:484K
+S:452R

United Kingdom,  
Sep-2020 

18-Dec-2020

Beta 

B.1.351 

GH/501Y.V2 20H (V2)+S:L18F
South Africa,  
May-2020 
18-Dec-2020
Gamma 

P.1 

GR/501Y.V3 20J (V3)+S:681HBrazil,  
Nov-2020 
11-Jan-2021
Delta 

B.1.617.2

G/478K.V1 21A, 21I, 21J

+S:417N

+S:484K

India,  
Oct-2020 
VOI: 4-Apr-2021 
VOC: 11-May-2021
Omicron*B.1.1.529GR/484A21K-Multiple countries, Nov-2021

VUM: 24-Nov-2021

VOC: 26-Nov-2021

• Includes all descendent lineages. See the cov-lineages.org and the Pango network websites for further details.

* See TAG-VE statement issued on 26 November 2021

° Only found in a subset of sequences

Working definition:

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.

Variants of Interest (VOI)

Currently designated Variants of Interest (VOIs):

WHO label Pango  
lineage*
GISAID cladeNextstrain  
clade 
Earliest documented  
samples 
Date of designation 

Lambda

C.37

GR/452Q.V1

21G

Peru, Dec-2020

14-Jun-2021
MuB.1.621GH21HColombia, Jan-202130-Aug-2021

Working definition

A SARS-CoV-2 variant :

  • with genetic changes that are predicted or known to affect virus characteristics such as transmissibility, disease severity, immune escape, diagnostic or therapeutic escape; AND
  • Identified to cause significant community transmission or multiple COVID-19 clusters, in multiple countries with increasing relative prevalence alongside increasing number of cases over time, or other apparent epidemiological impacts to suggest an emerging risk to global public health.