The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that Covid-19 variants of concern will be known by letters of the Greek alphabet, saying it will help avoid stigmatising countries where they first appear. A group of experts convened by the health organization recommended the new labelling, which "will be easier and more practical to (be) discussed by non-scientific audiences," the WHO said on Monday, DPA news agency reported.

The organization said that the existing systems for naming and tracking genetic lineages of SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes Covid-19 - will remain in use by scientists and in scientific research. So far, the WHO has identified four variants of concern. The one first detected in Britain will be known as Alpha, the one first found in South Africa will be Beta and the one first identified in Brazil will be Gamma. The newest of the four, which was first detected in India and designated as a variant of concern on May 11, will be known as Delta.