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COVID-19 Variants of 2021: List of All The Coronavirus Variants That Became The Cause of Concern

Omicron to Delta, here are some of the variants of coronavirus that became the cause of concern in 2021.

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Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated: December 16, 2021, 4:31 PM

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Coronavirus Variants That Became The Cause Of Concern

SARS-CoV2 was first detected in China's Wuhan city in 2019 and the virus has since then undergone several mutations. Some of which were found mild, while some had the potential to increase the transmissibility. Some of the mutations also reduced the effectiveness of the vaccine-induced immunity. In its latest mutations, the global health body - World Health Organisation (WHO) has named Omicron as the 'Variant of Concern' (VOC). Apart from this newly detected variant, let's take a close look at all the COVID-19 variants that troubled us in 2021.

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Omicron (The Current Variant Of Concern)

First detected in South Africa, Omicron was declared a 'Variant of Concern' on November 2021 by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This latest variant of SARS-CoV2 is said to be more dangerous than all the previous strains of the COVID-19 virus, including the Delta variant which led to the ferocious second wave of coronavirus in India. According to the WHO, Omicron is contagious, it can spread quickly and it is also the highest mutated version of the virus. The variant has over 50 mutations, out of which 30 are present in its spike protein which makes it potent enough to evade through the vaccine-induced immunity.  Also Read - Why everyone is talking about nervous system regulation and what it actually means

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Delta Variant (Lineage B.1.617.2)

Delta variant of COVID-19 was first detected in India in October 2020. The World Health Organisation on May 2021, declared Delta as a 'Variant of Concern'. The delta variant was the dominant strain in India's second wave of COVID-19 which swept the country earlier this year, leaving lakhs dead. The variant led to some of the most severe symptoms of COVID-19 including trouble in breathing, drop in body's O2 levels, loss of smell and taste, etc. This variant mutated further to form the Delta Plus or AY.1 variant.

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Gamma Variant (Lineage P.1)

The Gamma variant of SARS-CoV2 was first detected in Brazil in November 2020, although it was declared as a 'Variant of Concern' in January 2021. This variant showed 2.2 times higher transmissibility, the same strong ability to infect both adults and elderly people. So, these were the complete list of COVID-19 variants that we saw in 2021. 

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Satata Karmakar

Satata Karmakar is a health journalist and Assistant News Editor at TheHealthSite.com with over a decade of experience in digital and print media. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, she has previously worked with leading media organisations including ... Read More