Guidance

SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: 29 October 2021

Updated 21 April 2023

Position as of 25 October 2021.

Horizon scan

International epidemiology scan 26 October 2021
Imported sample mutation scan 21 October 2021
Signals in monitoring scan 22 October 2021
Phylogenetic cluster detection 26 October 2021
International mutation scan 26 October 2021
Domestic mutation scan 15 October 2021
Reinfections scan 22 October 2021
Vaccinees scan 22 October 2021
Signals investigated 12 October to 25 October 13
New genomes 12 October to 25 October 86,514

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, B.1.617.2, and all sub-lineages, unless named elsewhere on the grid)

Variants under investigation

VUI-21FEB-04 (B.1.1.318)
Kappa (VUI-21APR-01, B.1.617.1)
Mu (VUI-21JUL-01, B.1.621)
VUI-21OCT-01 (AY.4.2)
Eta VUI-21FEB-03 (B.1.525)

Signals currently under monitoring and investigation

Epsilon B.1.427/B.1.429
B.1.620
C.1.2
R.1
C.36.3 (previously VUI 21-MAY-02, de-escalated on 20 October 2021)

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-21APR-03 (B.1.617.3)
VUI-21MAY-01 (AV.1)

International signals under monitoring

Alpha with Q677H
B.1 with 214insQAS
A.27
AT.1
B.1.629
B.1.619
B.1.631, B.1.630, B.1.628
P.1.8
P.5
B.1.1.7 and B.1.617.2 Recombinant
Lambda C.37 (previously VUI-21JUN-01, de-escalated 20 October 2021)

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)

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

A.30
B.1.633
B.1.214.2
Alpha with S494P