What is the Kraken COVID variant, and what’s with the monster nicknames? COVID19
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When did they start naming new variants after mythical beasts? Kraken is already a rum and a hockey team. What happened to the Greek alphabet? Is Cyclops next? You just never know. But this is a nickname, light-hearted if not actually funny. The official WHO naming convention that follows the Greek alphabet for variants of concern remains in place. Omicron is the currently dominant variant of COVID-19. If it has a successor, it will be called Pi. Kraken is a subvariant of Omicron. Its proper name is XBB 1.5 under the Pango nomenclature system,based on experience tracking the evolution of influenza viruses.
Reminder that nicknames are available if you're trying to communicate about these and don't agree that they are not sufficiently divergent. These are informal names, but they have been picked up in quite a few news stories. Use them if they are helpful. Don't if they're not.
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