Guidance

SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: 8 April 2022

Updated 21 April 2023

Position as of 4 April 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 4 April 2022
Lineage and signals growth rates scan 4 April 2022
Phylogenetic cluster detection 4 April 2022
International mutation scan 4 April 2022
Domestic mutation scan 4 April 2022
Signals investigated from 22 March 2022 to 4 April 2022 9
New genomes 22 March 2022 to 4 April 2022 123,182

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

Omicron (VOC-21NOV-01/B.1.1.529/BA.1, and all sub-lineages, unless named elsewhere on the grid)
Omicron (VOC-22JAN-01/BA.2)

Variants

Omicron (B.1.1.529) sub-lineage BA.5 (V-22APR-04)
XE recombinant (V-22APR-02/BA.1 x BA.2)
Delta (V-21APR-02, and all sub-lineages, unless named elsewhere on the grid)
Alpha (V-20DEC-01/B.1.1.7)
V-21OCT-01 (AY.4.2)

Signals currently under monitoring and investigation

B.1.640
BA.3
Delta and Omicron recombinant lineages (UK)
XF 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)

International variants

Mu (VUI-21JUL-01, B.1.621)
V-21APR-03 (B.1.617.3)
XD Recombinant (V-22APR-01, Delta x BA.1)

International signals under monitoring

AY.119.2/BA.1.1 Recombinant

SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest: variants which have become provisionally extinct

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

P.1 (Gamma) (previously VOC-21JAN-02)
A.23.1 with E484K (previously VUI-21FEB-01)
Alpha with E484K (previously VOC-21FEB-02)
B.1.324.1 with E484K (previously VUI-21MAR-01)
AV.1 (previously VUI-21MAY-01)
P.3 (previously VUI-21MAR-02)
B.1.525 (previously VUI-21FEB-03)
B.1.318 (previously VUI-21FEB-04)
P.2 (previously VUI-21JAN-01)
B.1.617.1 (previously VUI-21APR-01)
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