COVID-19 Variants: A Comparative Analysis

The Covid-19 viruses have taken forms ever since it was first discovered. Viruses constantly change due to mutation. When a virus undergoes one or more mutations, it is called a variant. Coronavirus has caused several variants across the globe.

Once a virus enters the physical body, its genetic material enters the cells and starts making copies of itself which may infect the other cells. Whenever a blunder occurs during this copying process, it triggers a mutation. Covid-19 mutations of significance are divided into three types.

They are:

• Variant of Interest
• Variant of Concern
• Variant of High Consequence.

Variant	Originated from	Month and year	Countries affected	Symptoms
Alpha Variant	United Kingdom	September 2020	Minimum of 173 countries such as the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Wales, Ireland, United States.	Chills, loss of appetite, headache and muscle aches.
Beta Variant	South Africa	May 2020	122 countries including United States	50% more transmissible, severe infections.
Gamma Variant	Brazil	November 2020	62 countries including Canada, Italy, United States	Body aches, sore throat, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell.
Delta Variant	India	2020	96 countries including Singapore, France, Spain, UK, USA	Persistent cough, headache, fever, and sore throat. Headache, sore throat, runny nose, and fever seem to be more common.
Delta Plus Variant	India	2020	Spread across many states including Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra	Skin rash, change in the color of the toes, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of smell, diarrhea, headache, or runny nose, etc.
Kappa Variant	India	December 2020	Minimum 50 countries which include USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia	Rashes everywhere on the body, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red and watery eyes.
Lambda Variant	Peru	December 2020	Minimum 30 countries counting Chile, Mexico, Germany and Argentina.	Loss of smell, taste, fever and cough.