While the Covid 19 cases were declining across the world a new variant of the coronavirus labelled as ‘Omicron’ (B.1.1.529) has left health experts and markets worried. The World Health Organization (WHO) which named this variant Omicron has categorized it as a variant of concern stating that it could pose a greater risk than the Delta variant.
The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution met today to review what is known about the #COVID19 variant B.1.1.529.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) November 26, 2021
They advised WHO that it should be designated a Variant of Concern.
WHO has named it Omicron, in line with naming protocols https://t.co/bSbVas9yds pic.twitter.com/Gev1zIt1Ek
But the naming of this variant by the WHO has kicked-off a controversy with allegations of WHO pandering to China surfacing.
WHO has been using Greek alphabets to name new variants of COVID-19 for easy identification and understanding among the non-scientific groups. Going by this norm, Nu and Xi are the next letters in the Greek alphabet that should have been used to name a variant, that has now been named Omicron. Questions are now being raised as to why WHO decided to skip the letters Nu and Xi.
It is being theorised that had WHO named the variant Nu, any additional variant would then have to be called Xi, which happens to be the name of China’s President. “The concern is that WHO is again avoiding any discomfort for the Chinese government. So they named it Omicron,” said Jonathan Truley, American attorney and legal scholar.
He who must not be named. It appears the W.H.O. has skipped the next Greek letter after Nu to name the new variant. The next letter is Xi. The concern is that W.H.O. is again avoiding any discomfort for the Chinese government. So they named it Omicron…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) November 26, 2021
WHO has not provided an explanation for skipping Nu and Xi but New York Post has speculated a few reasons. Nu was skipped apparently to avoid confusion with the word “new.” Xi was skipped because it is written similarity to the name of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
People and policymakers criticised WHO its blatant appeasement of China
“If the WHO is this scared of the Chinese Communist Party, how can they be trusted to call them out the next time they’re trying to cover up a catastrophic global pandemic?” said Ted Cruz who is the senator of Texas.
If the WHO is this scared of the Chinese Communist Party, how can they be trusted to call them out the next time they’re trying to cover up a catastrophic global pandemic? https://t.co/wURdLcdqw2
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 26, 2021
Cruz was responding to senior British journalist Paul Nuki who claimed WHO source confirmed to him that the letters Nu and Xi of the Greek alphabet were deliberately avoided. He said Nu was skipped to avoid confusion with the word “new” and Xi had been skipped to avoid ‘stigmatising a region’. Nuki commented that all pandemics were inherently political.
A WHO source confirmed the letters Nu and Xi of the Greek alphabet had been deliberately avoided. Nu had been skipped to avoid confusion with the word “new” and Xi had been skipped to “avoid stigmatising a region”, they said.
— Paul Nuki (@PaulNuki) November 26, 2021
All pandemics inherently political!
WHO has a policy not to name any variant on the name of any country and region. Jonathan Turley was quick to point out that Xi has not attended region status.
…The new variant was expected to be Nu but any additional variant would then be Xi, which happens to be the name of the Chinese leader…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) November 26, 2021
Even distinguished health experts like Martin Kulldorff of Harvard Medical School were left wondering about the naming of the new variant by WHO echoing what Paul Nuki said.
“News of new Nu variant, but WHO is jumping the alphabet to call it Omicron, so they can avoid Xi,” Martin Kulldorff .
News of new Nu variant, but WHO is jumping the alphabet to call it Omicron, so they can avoid Xi. pic.twitter.com/UJ4xMwg52i
— Martin Kulldorff (@MartinKulldorff) November 26, 2021
American linguist and lexicographer Benjamin Zimmer who is also the contributing editor for The Atlantic poked fun at WHO.
Kudos to the WHO for skipping over the potentially confusing Nu and Xi names and going straight to Omicron. https://t.co/fa4q66VOjL https://t.co/9w5f4yIU8p
— Ben Zimmer (@bgzimmer) November 26, 2021
WHO has long been accused of protecting China even if Wuhan was the origin of Covid 19. The then-American President Donald Trump had even suspended funding to WHO for playing in the hands of China even if the world faced such a huge disaster.
