WHO COVID-19 dashboard
WHO Health Emergencies Programme
WHO Coronavirus Network (CoViNet)
The WHO Coronavirus Network (CoViNet) aims to bring together surveillance programs and reference laboratories to support enhanced epidemiological monitoring and laboratory (phenotypic and genotypic) assessment of SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and novel coronaviruses of public health importance.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) variant data
COVID-19 Variants of Concern (VOCs)
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, multiple COVID-19 Variants of Concern (VOCs) and Variants of Interest (VOIs) have been designated by WHO based on their assessed potential for expansion and replacement of prior variants, for causing new waves with increased circulation, and for the need for adjustments to public health actions.
Learn more about variants
Currently circulating COVID-19 Variants of Interest (VOIs) as of 18 December 2023
Pango lineage XBB.1.5 | Nextstrain clade
Genetic features
Includes: XBB.1.5.70 (23G): XBB.1.5 + S:L455F and S:F456L
Earliest documented samples
Date of designation
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Pango lineage XBB.1.16 | Nextstrain clade
Genetic features
Earliest documented samples
Date of designation
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Pango lineage EG.5 | Nextstrain clade
Genetic features
Earliest documented samples
Date of designation
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Pango lineage BA.2.86 Excludes BA.2.86 sublineages listed here as VOIs | Nextstrain clade
Genetic features
Earliest documented samples
Date of designation
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Pango lineage JN.1 | Nextstrain clade
Genetic features
Earliest documented samples
Date of designation
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Currently circulating COVID-19 Variants under Monitoring (VUMs) as of 10 February 2024
Currently all the VUMs are de-escalated due to their prevalence less than1% at the global level and in all WHO regions for 8 consecutive weeks.
Metadata
Glossary and definitions
COVID-19 variants | It is usual for viruses to change and evolve as they spread between people over time. When these changes become significantly different to a previously detected virus, these new virus types are known as “variants.” To identify
variants, scientists map the genetic material of viruses (known as sequencing) and then look for differences between them to see if they have changed.
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Variant under Monitoring (VUM) | A Variant Under Monitoring (VUM) is a term used to signal to public health authorities that a SARS-CoV-2 variant may require prioritized attention and monitoring. The main objective of this category is to investigate if this variant (and others closely related to it) may pose an additional threat to global public health as compared to other circulating variants. |
Variant of Interest (VOI) | A Variant of Interest (VOI) is a term used to describe a SARS-CoV-2 variant with changes that are known to affect how the virus behaves or its potential impact on human health. This can include, for example, its ability to spread, its ability to cause serious disease, or how easily it may be detected or treated. A VOI may also be identified because it has an increased ability to spread when compared with other circulating variants, suggesting a potential emerging risk to global public health. |
Variant of Concern (VOC) | A Variant of Concern (VOC) is a term that describes a SARS-CoV-2 variant that meets the definition of a VOI (see above), but also meets at least one of the following criteria when compared with other variants:
A VOC variant will be assigned a greek letter. |
Data sources
SARS-CoV-2 variant data |
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Copyright and licensing
Copyright | Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) |
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Citation | World Health Organization 2023 data.who.int, WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) dashboard > Variants [Dashboard]. https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/variants |
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