Learn why WHO named COVID 19’s new variant Omicron; read on
The Coronavirus pandemic, which struck the world last year in 2020, is not going away anytime soon. Following the detection of the second variant, there are now reports that the third variant of this virus has been detected in some parts of the world. Some cases of the third variant, known as Omicron, have been reported in India as well. The World Health Organization chose the name (WHO). According to reports, when choosing a name for the variant, the WHO skipped two letters of the Greek alphabet: XI, Nu.
According to experts, WHO chose to avoid Nu because it sounds similar to the English word new. According to reports, WHO avoided the word Xi so that people would not interpret it as a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The World Health Organization has been using Greek letters to refer to the most common Coronavirus variants, which otherwise have long scientific names. Before a new variant emerged in South Africa earlier this week, it had already used 12 letters of the Greek alphabet.
Omicron is the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, derived from the Phoenician letter ayin. “Based on the evidence presented of a detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, the TAG-VE advised WHO that this variant should be designated as a VOC, and the WHO has designated B.1.1.529 as a VOC, named Omicron,” the WHO said on Friday.
It should be noted that the Maldives has banned visitors from seven African countries due to the Omicron Covid variant. Travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini will be denied entry to the Maldives, according to the country’s health ministry.
