SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: 25 March 2022
Updated 21 April 2023
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Position as of 21 March 2022.
This document uses the current variant classification system, and a new system will come into effect on 1 April 2022 as described in Technical Briefing 38.
Horizon scan
| International epidemiology scan | 21 March 2022 |
| Lineage and signals growth rates scan | 21 March 2022 |
| Phylogenetic cluster detection | 21 March 2022 |
| International mutation scan | 21 March 2022 |
| Domestic mutation scan | 21 March 2022 |
| Signals investigated from 9 March 2022 to 21 March 2022 | 5 |
| New genomes 9 March 2022 to 21 March 2022 | 120,000 |
Note: Signals of individual mutations and new clusters are excluded until defined variant is identified.
SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: variants detected in the UK
Variants of concern
| Alpha (VOC-20DEC-01, B.1.1.7) |
| Delta (VOC-21APR-02, and all sub-lineages, unless named elsewhere on the grid) |
| Omicron (VOC-21NOV-01/B.1.1.529/BA.1, and all sub-lineages, unless named elsewhere on the grid) |
Variants under investigation
| VUI-21OCT-01 (AY.4.2) |
| Omicron VUI-22JAN-01/BA.2 |
Signals currently under monitoring and investigation
| B.1.640 |
| BA.3 |
| Delta and Omicron recombinant lineages (UK) |
| XF recombinant |
| XE recombinant |
| BA.1/BA.2 recombinant (with unique mutation C3583T) |
SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: variants present in GISAID but not detected in the UK
International variants of concern
| Beta (VOC-20DEC-02, B.1.351) |
| Gamma (VOC-21JAN-02, P.1) |
International variants under investigation
| Mu (VUI-21JUL-01, B.1.621) |
| VUI-21APR-03 (B.1.617.3) |
International signals under monitoring
| AY.119.2/BA.1.1 Recombinant |
| XD Recombinant |
SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: variants that have become provisionally extinct
Variants provisionally extinct (not detected for 12 weeks in the UK or in GISAID)
| VUI-21FEB-01 (A.23.1 with E484K) |
| VOC-21FEB-02 (Alpha with E484K) |
| VUI-21MAR-01 (B.1.324.1 with E484K) |
| VUI-21MAY-01 (AV.1) |
| VUI-21MAR-02 (P.3) |
| VUI-21FEB-03 (B.1.525) |
| VUI-21FEB-04 (B.1.318) |
| VUI-21JAN-01 (P.2) |
| VUI-21APR-01 (B.1.617.1) |
| A.27 |
| C.36.3 |
| Iota (B.1.526) |
Signals provisionally extinct (not detected for 12 weeks in the UK or in GISAID)
| A.30 |
| B.1.633 |
| AT.1 |
| P.5 |
| R.1 |
| B.1.620 |
| B.1.1.7 + B.1.617.2 (XC Recombinant) |
| B.1.214.2 |
| B.1.619 |
Signals removed after review
Variants under investigation and signals in monitoring may be removed from the grid if they show consistently low growth rates.
| AY.33 |
| AY.34 |
| AY.43 |
| B.1.629 |
| B.1.630 |
| B.1.628 recombinant of (B.1.631 and B.1.634) |
| C.1.2 |
| C.37 (Lambda) (previously VUI-21JUN-01) |
| C.37 (2nd Gen) |
| Epsilon (B.1.427/B.1.429) |
| P.1.8 |
| Variant associated with North America: USA 214insQAS Samples |
| Delta + E484K Phylogenetic Cluster |