Guidance
SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: 15 October 2021
Updated 21 April 2023
Position as of 11 October 2021.
Horizon scan
| International epidemiology scan | 8 October 2021 |
| Imported sample mutation scan | 7 October 2021 |
| Signals in monitoring scan | 7 October 2021 |
| Phylogenetic cluster detection | 28 September 2021 |
| International mutation scan | 5 October 2021 |
| Domestic mutation scan | 8 October 2021 |
| Reinfections scan | 8 October 2021 |
| Vaccinees scan | 1 October 2021 |
| Signals investigated 27 September to 11 October | 11 |
| New genomes 27 September to 11 October | 91,071 |
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 and sub-lineages |
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) |
Signals currently under monitoring and investigation
| A.30 |
| A.27 |
| AT.1 |
| Alpha with S494P |
| Alpha with Q677H |
| B.1.214.2 |
| Epsilon B.1.427/B.1.429 |
| Iota B.1.526 |
| B.1.633 |
| B.1.619 |
| B.1.620 |
| B.1.629 |
| C.1.2 |
| R.1 |
| B.1.630 and B.1.628 |
| P.1.8 |
| AY.4.2 |
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) |
| Eta (VUI-21FEB-03, B.1.525) |
| Theta (VUI-21MAR-02, P.3) |
| VUI-21APR-03 (B.1.617.3) |
| VUI-21MAY-01 (AV.1) |
| VUI-21MAY-02 (C.36.3) |
| Lambda (VUI-21JUN-01, C.37) |
International signals under monitoring
| N/A |
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) |