SARS-CoV-2 variants

Abstracted from www.who.int:

WHO, in collaboration with partners, expert networks, national authorities, institutions and researchers have been monitoring and assessing the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 since January 2020. During late 2020, the emergence of variants that posed an increased risk to global public health prompted the characterisation of specific Variants of Interest (VOIs) and Variants of Concern (VOCs), in order to prioritise global monitoring and research, and ultimately to inform the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Variants of Concern (VOC)

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.  

Currently designated Variants of Concern:

*Notable spike (S) amino acid changes under monitoring, which are currently reported in a minority of sequenced samples.