Did WHO avoid letters in Greek alphabet to prevent angering China?

Speculation has actually emerged over the World Health Organisation’s choice to avoid 2 letters in the Greek alphabet when calling the brand-new Covid variation.

Yesterday theWHO announced it had named the new covid-19 variant of concern Omicron.

The organisation has been naming variants of concern after letters of the Greek alphabet to make discussions about the virus ‘easier and more practical’ for the general public.

The last variant of concern, B.1.621 which emerged in Columbia, was labelled Mu, and many expected the new variant to be called ‘Nu’.

But when the WHO made its announcement on Friday – many were confused why the organisation hadn’t followed its own rules and had skipped not one but two letters in Greek alphabet.

Many started speculating ‘nu’ was avoided because of its similarities to the English word ‘new’.

While ‘Xi’ may have been skipped because of its closeness to the name of China’s leader Xi Jinpeng.

Paul Nuki, a senior editor at the Telegraph stated a WHO source had actually informed him it was to prevent ‘stigmatising a region’.

Mr Nuki tweeted: ‘A WHO source validated the letters Nu and Xi of the Greek alphabet had actually been intentionally prevented. Nu had actually been avoided to prevent confusion with the word “new” and Xi had actually been avoided to “avoid stigmatising a region”, they stated.

‘All pandemics inherently political!’

Metro co.uk has actually called the WHO is ask why the letters were avoided.

But a representative for the UN health firm informed The New York Post Nu and Xi had actually been prevented for 2 factors.

Dr Margaret Harris stated: ‘[For] Nu the thinking was individuals would get baffled believing it was the brand-new variation, instead of a name.

‘And XI because it’ s a typical surname and we have actually concurred [to] calling guidelines that prevent utilizing name, individuals’s names, animal, and so on to prevent preconception.’

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