A diverse group of people including evolutionary biologists, historians, teachers, citizen scientists and variant trackers from around the world, having connected over social media to provide nicknames to SARS-CoV-2’s many variants, are now actively looking at doing the same with other widespread viruses. Their aim is to bring science, and the communication around it, closer to the public.
With their initiative, they hope that the public will become more aware of viruses, how they behave and how best to prevent their possible spread.
Aided and inspired by Greek mythology and even constellations, the now popular Omicron variants’ nicknames include Gryphon (XBB), Hippogryph (XBB.1), Kraken (XBB.1.5) and Arcturus (XBB.1.16).
