When the Delta variant of Covid-19 was first discovered, it was named B.1.617.2 — a scientific name that's part of the Pango nomenclature. But in May, the WHO decided to also assign Greek letters (like alpha, beta, etc.) as names for each variant to make them easier for the pubic to discuss, according to USA Today.
Which brings us to the latest variant hitting the news: B.1.1.529, or omicron, named after the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet. It might, at first glance, seem easy enough to pronounce, and thus discuss. But listen to the many news reporters and even the president in the Daily Show's video below, and it becomes obvious that Greek letters were not the way to go. Perhaps common animal names or ice cream flavors would have made for a better nomenclature system.
