Guidance

SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: 26 November 2021

Updated 21 April 2023

Position as of 22 November 2021.

Horizon scan

International epidemiology scan 25 November 2021
Imported sample mutation scan 23 November 2021
Signals in monitoring scan 25 November 2021
Phylogenetic cluster detection 16 November 2021
International mutation scan 25 November 2021
Domestic mutation scan 12 November 2021
Reinfections scan 19 November 2021
Vaccinees scan 19 November 2021
Signals investigated 12 October to 25 October 2021 6
New genomes 12 October to 25 October 2021 115,635

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)
Beta (VOC-20DEC-02, B.1.351)
Gamma (VOC-21JAN-02, P.1)
Delta (VOC-21APR-02, and all sub-lineages, unless named elsewhere on the grid)

Variants under investigation

Kappa (VUI-21APR-01, B.1.617.1)
Mu (VUI-21JUL-01, B.1.621)
VUI-21OCT-01 (AY.4.2)
VUI-21FEB-03, B.1.525

Signals currently under monitoring and investigation

B.1.640
Delta + E484K

SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: variants present in GISAID but not detected in the UK

International variants of concern

N/A

International variants under investigation

Zeta (VUI-21JAN-01, P.2)
Theta (VUI-21MAR-02, P.3)
VUI-21FEB-04 (B.1.1.318)
VUI-21APR-03 (B.1.617.3)
VUI-21NOV-01 (B.1.1.529)

International signals under monitoring

B.1.1.7 with Q677H
B.1.1.7 with S494P
B.1 with 214insQAS
B.1.629
B.1.631, B.1.630, B.1.628
P.1.8
P.5
B.1.1.7 + B.1.617.2
Lambda C.37
C.37 (S:L5F, G75V, D614G, L452Q, E484K, P499R, N501T, H655Y, P681R, T859N)
Iota (B.1.526)
C.1.2
R.1
B.1.620
C.36.3
B.1.214.2
B.1.427/B.1.429

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)

Signals provisionally extinct (not detected for 12 weeks in the UK or in GISAID)

A.30
B.1.633
AT.1
A.27
B.1.619