The World Health Organization (WHO) is exploring new naming conventions for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus variants as the Greek alphabet nears exhaustion. Proposals like using constellation names, however, have sparked backlash from astronomers.
In early 2021, COVID-19 variants were named after their regions of origin—"English," "Brazilian," "Indian," or "South African"—terms that proved stigmatizing and uninformative. On June 1, 2021, the WHO introduced a simpler system using Greek letters, shifting from cumbersome scientific designations to familiar terms like "Alpha" and "Delta."
While this change was welcome, SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate rapidly. Only variants posing public health risks enter the Greek-letter list—the latest being Mu, the 12th letter. What happens if all 24 letters are exhausted?
A Telegraph article from August 7, 2021, quoted WHO COVID-19 surveillance lead Maria Van Kerkhove discussing these options. Naming after Greek gods was floated but dismissed as odd. Constellation names emerged as a frontrunner, avoiding geographic stigma and offering ample supply—88 constellations, as defined by astronomer Eugène Delporte in 1930.
Yet astronomers remain unconvinced. French astrophysicist Eric Lagadec tweeted on September 2 that this was unwelcome news. Medical and astronomical terminologies clash, potentially tainting constellation names with negative associations or failing to convey a variant's severity. The WHO may need a more neutral, logical alternative before Greek letters run dry.
