'Scared of China': Twitter up in arms after WHO avoids Greek alphabet Xi and names new COVID-19 variant Omicron

'Scared of China': Twitter up in arms after WHO avoids Greek alphabet Xi and names new COVID-19 variant Omicron

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Saturday, November 27, 2021, 07:53 PM IST
article-image
World Health Organization | Photo: AFP

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as 'Omicron'.

This variant was first reported to WHO from South Africa on Friday.

"In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant. The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021," WHO said in a statement.

This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa.

"Based on the evidence presented indicative of a detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) has advised the WHO that this variant should be designated as a VOC (Varinant of Concern), and the WHO has designated B.1.1.529 as a VOC, named Omicron," the statement added.

Meanwhile, Twitter users were up in arms after the WHO skipped two Greek alphabets Nu and Xi, and chose Omicron instead. Many on Twitter speculated that the WHO skipped Nu to avoid confusion with the word “new” and skipped Xi because it could have been misconstrued as a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"you don’t need to be a Greek Alphabet expert to work out why WHO would skip from Nu to Omicron, avoiding Xi….(sic)," a Twitter user said.

Another Twitter user wrote: "The scare of China is such in WHO that the new variant is named ‘Omicron’ after ‘Nu’, skipping ‘Xi’ totally. And we can all guess why ! And that’s when the origin of corona is from China itself. Hypocrisy unlimited !!"

RECENT STORIES

Pilot On A Flight To Denver Records Adorable Daddy Moment, Introduces Passengers To His Little...

Pilot On A Flight To Denver Records Adorable Daddy Moment, Introduces Passengers To His Little...

Viral Video: Man Thrashed Brutally For Parking His Vehicle In Front Of Assailant's House In...

Viral Video: Man Thrashed Brutally For Parking His Vehicle In Front Of Assailant's House In...

VIDEO: Toilet Paper Rolls Fall From Freight Truck On California Highway, Officials Take 20 Minutes...

VIDEO: Toilet Paper Rolls Fall From Freight Truck On California Highway, Officials Take 20 Minutes...

Viral Video: Man Plays With Housefly Using Poker Chips, Facebook Reel Hits 1.9 Million Views

Viral Video: Man Plays With Housefly Using Poker Chips, Facebook Reel Hits 1.9 Million Views

Man Who Booked 46 Train Tickets Is Going Viral For THIS Post, Here's What It Is All About

Man Who Booked 46 Train Tickets Is Going Viral For THIS Post, Here's What It Is All About