More than 4.5 years have passed since the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Ukraine. Since then, the pandemic has changed significantly, but the virus has not disappeared, turning into a seasonal illness similar to the flu. The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to mutate, and many strains have emerged over time: from Alpha and Delta to Omicron and Kraken. But what do these names mean? The Ministry of Health of Ukraine provides an explanation.
It all started with A and B—the two earliest forms of SARS-CoV-2 that were detected in China at the end of 2019. However, they spread and mutated, leading to the formation of variants and subvariants of the virus. Scientists at WHO added numbers to their names: A.1, B.2.27, B.1.351, and so on. This naming system indicated the lineage from which a particular strain of the virus originated. While this was clear to scientists, people not familiar with the science often found these names confusing, so for simplicity, they began to invent designations for variants and subvariants based on the country or region where they were first detected. Thus, “British” and “South African” variants emerged.
However, these “geographic” names posed a risk of stigma for entire countries, so in 2021, WHO had to introduce a new system—variants that posed a significant threat were assigned names from the Greek alphabet. Thus, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta were introduced.
At the same time, letters that could cause confusion, such as Nu (which sounds like “new”) or those sensitive to some, such as Xi (the surname of China’s president), were not used.
What Changed with the Emergence of Omicron?
When Omicron appeared, the system “broke down” because it brought together a vast number of variants and subvariants, with new strains spreading easily and being able to “evade” immunity, causing confusion. For instance, XBB.1.5 was also a subvariant of Omicron and circulated and evolved rapidly. To better inform the public about the threat, this subtype was named Kraken after the aggressive sea monster from Scandinavian folklore. Names from Greek mythology were also used.
The penultimate unofficial name that became widespread, including in Ukraine, was Pirola (BA.2.86). This subvariant was named not because it spread extensively (like Kraken), but because it had 30 mutations. Pirola is an asteroid, but it also represents a combination of two letters from the Greek alphabet: Pi and Ro.
But what about the name “FLiRT”? There is no playfulness here—only science. It denotes mutations in the spike protein (S-protein), which allows SARS-CoV-2 to attach to human cells (F456L, V1104L, and R346T). Scientists suggest that FLiRT mutations help the virus better evade our immunity.
We have already reported on the conflict between the “Okhmatdyt” hospital and the charitable foundation.
