Table 1: Variants of COVID-19.
Variant name and lineage
|
First Detected
|
Country of Origin
|
Number of Countries affected
|
Number of Mutations
|
Rate of Spread as compared to SARS-CoV-2
|
Morbidities
|
Note
|
Alpha (B.1.1.7)
|
09/2020 12/2020 |
UK USA |
52 (as of January 15, 2021)
|
17
|
43% to 82%
|
61% more compared to SARS-CoV-2 (HR = 1.61)
|
De-escalated in EU/EEA
|
Beta (B.1.351)
|
10/2020 01/2021 |
South Africa USA |
48
|
9
|
|
20% more mortality than the 1st wave in South Africa
|
No longer detected in EU/EEA or seen at a deficient level
|
Gamma (P.1)
|
12/2020 01/2021 |
Brazil++ USA |
45
|
10
|
2.5 times
|
Not enhanced lethality
|
No longer detected in EU/EEA or detected at extremely low level
|
Delta (B.1.617.2)
|
12/ 2020 03/2021 |
India USA |
163 (as of 08/24/2021
|
10
|
40%-60% more transmissible than Alpha (B.1.1.7)
|
|
VOC in May 2021
|
Epsilon (B.1.427 and B.1.429)
|
06/2020
|
USA
|
|
8
|
|
|
VOC (USA)
|
Zeta (P.2)
|
04/2020
|
Brazil
|
|
8
|
|
|
VOI
|
Eta (B.1.525)
|
11/2020
|
USA
|
|
16
|
|
|
VOI
|
Theta (P.3)
|
02/2021
|
Philippines Japan |
|
3
|
|
|
VOI
|
Iota (B.1.526)
|
11/2020
|
USA
|
|
16
|
|
|
VOI
|
Kappa (B.1.617.1)
|
12/2021
|
India
|
|
8
|
|
|
VOI
|
Lambda (C.37)
|
|
Peru
|
|
|
|
|
VOI
|
Mu (B.1.621, B1.621.1)
|
|
Columbia
|
|
|
|
|
VOI
|
Omicron (B.1.529, BA.1.1, BA.3)
|
11/2021
|
Botswana and South Africa
|
|
30
|
Omicron has 13 times more contagion than SARS-Cov-2 and 2.8 times more than Delta
|
|
VOC
|
Omicron (BA.2)
|
11/2021
|
South Africa
|
|
28
|
Increased
|
Reduced
|
VOI
|
Omicron (BA.4)
|
01/2022
|
South Africa
|
|
3
|
No evidence
|
No evidence
|
VOI
|
Omicron (BA.5)
|
02/2022
|
South Africa
|
|
3
|
No evidence
|
Unclear
|
VOI
|
HR: Hazard Ratio; VOC: Virus of Concern; VOI: Virus of Interest, Source: Aleem et al. (2022) (StatPearl), GVN.org,Yalemedicine.org, and ecdc.europa.eu (Accessed on September 2022), Note: In addition to these websites, interested readers should consult WHO.Int and CDC.gov and the respective country Covid tracking websites since information is changing rapidly