Virus names

[Clitheroekid]

Following on from the vaccine names thread it seems they're likely to call the new South African variant the `Nu' variant. Apart from the fact that most people will simply think it's called the `new' variant (which begs the question of what they the call the next one - perhaps the Nu improved' variant?) why do they skip around the Greek alphabet like this?

The first variants were called alpha and beta, which was fine. But they then went straight to delta. Why did they miss out gamma? Was it considered too closely associated with gamma rays, which the Great British Public associate with ray guns and death rays?

Logically, the next one should be the epsilon variant, or if that's too difficult let's skip it and go to the next one, which is Zeta. Surely there can be no objection to that (apart, perhaps, from Ms Zeta-Jones!)

[Mike4]

Following on from the vaccine names thread it seems they're likely to call the new South African variant the `Nu' variant.

Surely its the 'Mu' variant not the 'Nu'.

But I agree with the general thrust of your post....

[Clitheroekid]

Following on from the vaccine names thread it seems they're likely to call the new South African variant the `Nu' variant.

Surely its the 'Mu' variant not the 'Nu'.

But I agree with the general thrust of your post....

You could well be right - I (mis?)heard the name on the news, and just assumed it was Nu.

But thinking about it, as it seems to have derived from South Africa perhaps it should be the Gnu Variant

[Hallucigenia]

why do they skip around the Greek alphabet like this?

"They" don't - the letters are used in order, but some become more famous than others. Gamma is the Brazilian variant otherwise known as P.1, Epsilon was originally found in California :

https://gvn.org/covid-19/epsilon-b-1-427-b-1-429/

[servodude]

why do they skip around the Greek alphabet like this?

"They" don't - the letters are used in order, but some become more famous than others. Gamma is the Brazilian variant otherwise known as P.1, Epsilon was originally found in California :

https://gvn.org/covid-19/epsilon-b-1-427-b-1-429/

Where be digamma (F) considered in the alphabet these days?

[Mike4]

Following on from the vaccine names thread it seems they're likely to call the new South African variant the `Nu' variant.

Surely its the 'Mu' variant not the 'Nu'.

But I agree with the general thrust of your post....

You could well be right - I (mis?)heard the name on the news, and just assumed it was Nu.

But thinking about it, as it seems to have derived from South Africa perhaps it should be the Gnu Variant

Lol. And I bet we both heard it on "The Gnus" on the BBC!

[Hallucigenia]

Surely its the 'Mu' variant not the 'Nu'.

Mu was a different variant that was the subject of a brief panic a few weeks ago, but couldn't compete against the mighty delta :

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/2021100 ... ed-quietly

Interestingly social media just assumed this new one would be named nu, before the WHO had officially named it (and I get the sense that given the choice, they probably would have skipped nu just to avoid the "new" thing and confusion with mu.

[Hallucigenia]

Where be digamma (F) considered in the alphabet these days?

Convention for these things is to use the classic Ionian alphabet, which has eta and omega but had lost digamma compared to more archaic versions of the alphabet.

[AleisterCrowley]

Perhaps they should just move away from Greek stuff and call it 'Captain Trips' ?

[servodude]

Perhaps they should just move away from Greek stuff and call it 'Captain Trips' ?

If they call the next vaccine "homeocrystal empathic steam therapy" there's a chance we could get 100% coverage ?!

-sd

[kiloran]

Surely its the 'Mu' variant not the 'Nu'.

Ah, but Joe Public will think it's the Moo variant and blame it on Mad Cow Disease

--kiloran

[pje16]

could be worse
Coxsackie Virus

No.8 on this list
https://gizmodo.com/ten-serious-medical ... es-5814929

[swill453]

The new one is called "Omicron".

Scott.

[GrahamPlatt]

The new one is called "Omicron".

Scott.

Well I thought I’d call it B.1.1.529stard

[csearle]

Why can't they just agree on a Mark number? Worked for Spitfires. C.

[moorfield]

The Omicron Variant - love it, sounds like the title of a Len Deighton or Frederick Forsyth thriller.

Although I still think they should have followed weather (storm) nomenclature -

Variant Steve, for example.

[1nvest]

With my 89 year old mother having had Covid back in January, also my son and a broad range of his mates, a more encompassing common name might be another 'cold'. Only death so far is that of a young (early 20's) girl who committed suicide out of a lockdown depression.

Adults on average get a cold 4 times/year, a significant number of which have been observed to have died within 28 days of having had a cold.

Sweden with no lockdowns, 1/6th the population of the UK, 15,000 deaths. Perhaps the UK could have saved 55,000 lives without any lockdowns that have induced too late detection of cancers and other deaths that might otherwise have been avoided.

[tjh290633]

The new one is called "Omicron".

Scott.

As that is the last letter of the Greek alphabet, does that mean they expect if to be the last? Or shall we move on to Sanskrit, or Chinese characters next?

TJH

[gryffron]

And more importantly: when did omi-cron come to be pronounced oh-micron? Is that the metric pronunciation?

Gryff

[servodude]

The new one is called "Omicron".

Scott.

As that is the last letter of the Greek alphabet, does that mean they expect if to be the last? Or shall we move on to Sanskrit, or Chinese characters next?

TJH

You're thinking of Omega the other bigger O
We've still a few to go - Pi I'm looking forward to