All About COVID Variants: Is it all Greek to you?

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced the impacts of variants – not just Delta and Omicron, the best known, but others that had less influence on the disease’s severity or spread.

So what is a variant anyway?

Over time, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, undergoes genetic changes, which is expected and not uncommon or unique to the virus.

This video compares the results of those changes to the branches of a tree. To put it simply, the “branches” are the virus variants and subvariants. Each variant may have a different impact on how fast the virus spreads or how sick it can make someone, or how effectively it can be treated.

Where do those names come from?

Is it all Greek to you? That would make sense, since the World Health Organization names variants after letters in the Greek alphabet, meaning that since COVID-19 emerged, we have seen Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron, and others that, while still being monitored by the CDC, are either not circulating in the U.S. any longer or not spreading fast enough to be concerning. If you’re keeping up with it, those include Gamma, Epsilon, Eta, Iota, Kappa, Mu, and Zeta and one that goes by the more modest name 1.617.3.

Which variant is dominant in the U.S. now?

The distinction of “variant of greatest concern” is Omicron, and its subvariants (branches of branches, I guess you could say) are of varying levels of concern.  Here is a portrait of Omicron, courtesy of the CDC:

The Omicron variant has produced several subvariants – B.1.1.529, BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5  It was first identified in South Africa.

Spread: Spreads more easily than other variants. CDC is working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of Omicron.

Symptoms:  Please refer to Symptoms of COVID-19 | CDC

Severe illness and death: Data suggest that Omicron is less severe in general. However, a surge in cases may lead to significant increases in hospitalization and death. More data are needed to fully understand the severity of illness and death associated with this variant.

Vaccine: Breakthrough infections in people who are vaccinated are expected, but being up to date on recommended vaccines is effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death. The emergence of the Omicron variant further emphasizes the importance of vaccination and boosters.¹

More about Omicron in the next installment of “All About COVID Variants.”

Please stay healthy, stay safe, and please keep the memory of those we’ve lost to COVID in your hearts and minds.

¹ CDC, What You Need to Know About Variants, updated April 26, 2022.