Omicron, Delta, Alpha, and More: What To Know About the Coronavirus Variants

[Originally published: Dec. 10, 2021. Updated: Sept. 1, 2023]

Note: Information in this article was accurate at the time of original publication. Because information about COVID-19 changes rapidly, we encourage you to visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and your state and local government for the latest information.

One thing we know for sure about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is that it is changing constantly. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen a number of prominent variants, including Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron.

Although new variants are an expected part of the evolution of viruses, monitoring each one that surfaces is essential in ensuring we—in the U.S. and globally—are prepared. This is especially true if a new variant is more aggressive, highly transmissible, vaccine-resistant, able to cause more severe disease—or all of the above, compared with the original strain of the virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) names new coronavirus variants using the letters of the Greek alphabet, starting with the Alpha variant, which emerged in 2020.

Below is a list of—and information about—some of the variants that have been top-of-mind.

Omicron and its subvariants have ranked as the predominant SARS-CoV-2 strains in the U.S. for almost two years now. While the original Omicron strain (BA.1) is no longer circulating, Omicron subvariants are now driving most of the country’s SARS-CoV-2 infections. Omicron was first identified in Botswana and South Africa in late November 2021, and cases quickly began to surface and multiply in other countries. By December of that year, Omicron was causing daily case numbers in the U.S. to skyrocket to over a million. In 2022, it had spawned a number of subvariants. In 2023, a new Omicron strain called EG.5 (nicknamed “Eris”) is the dominant strain in the U.S., and experts are monitoring another new strain called BA.2.86 (nicknamed “Pirola”).

How contagious is it? Omicron’s subvariants are considered to be especially efficient spreaders of the disease. The original strain of Omicron was more transmissible than Delta was. One explanation was that more than 30 of Omicron’s mutations are on the virus’s spike protein, the part that attaches to human cells, and several of those are believed to increase the probability of infection.

Severity: Scientists are still working to learn more about whether the current Omicron strains cause more severe disease than their predecessors. Data has suggested that the original Omicron strain was less severe, in general, than previous variants, according to the CDC. But it has also been noted that surges in cases may lead to significant increases in hospitalizations and deaths, as they did during the variant’s spread at the beginning of 2022, when the estimated death rates went as high or higher than they were at the time of the Delta variant surge in the previous autumn.

Can vaccination prevent it? The CDC says that while breakthrough infections in vaccinated people are expected, staying up to date with vaccinations is the best protection against Omicron. Scientists are evaluating the effectiveness of a new fall 2023 updated COVID-19 booster against EG.5 and BA.2.86, according to the CDC. Currently, the CDC says the updated vaccine is expected to be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalization from the two recent subvariants.

Delta (B.1.617.2) was first identified in India in late 2020; it soon spread throughout the world, becoming what was the predominant version of the coronavirus—until Omicron took its place in mid-December of 2021.

How contagious is it? It’s estimated that Delta caused more than twice as many infections as previous variants—in Connecticut, it was estimated to have been 80 to 90% more transmissible than the Alpha variant. In the U.S., in June 2021, after a steady decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the arrival of Delta coincided with a rapid reversal of that trend. In the fall of 2021, there were surges even in the most vaccinated states, prompting experts to urge people to get their booster shots.

Severity: Delta caused more severe disease than other variants in people who weren’t vaccinated. Early studies from Scotland and Canada, both cited by the CDC, suggested Delta was more likely to result in hospitalization in the unvaccinated. A report in the Lancet found that people in England had double the hospitalization risk with Delta than they did with Alpha, the previously dominant variant in that country.

Can vaccination prevent it? All three vaccines in the U.S. were considered highly effective against severe illness, hospitalizations, and death from Delta. No vaccine is 100% effective, and Delta caused breakthrough infections in some fully vaccinated people. Also, infected vaccinated people could spread the virus to others, although likely they were infectious for a shorter time.

Delta also prompted the CDC to recommend “layered prevention strategies” for both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. That means that, in addition to staying up-to-date with their vaccines, people were advised to practice such strategies as washing hands, wearing masks, and maintaining a physical distance from one another, especially when indoors in places where there was substantial or high transmission.

This variant, or B.1.351, was identified in South Africa at the end of 2020 and spread to other countries. Experts had been concerned about its several mutations and its potential to evade antibodies. Beta was not common in the U.S.

How contagious is it? The CDC said Beta was about 50% more contagious than the original coronavirus strain.

Severity: There was evidence to suggest that Beta may have been more likely than other variants to lead to hospitalization and death.

Can vaccination prevent it? South Africa stopped offering the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine (which is not available in the U.S.) early in 2021 after clinical trials showed it did not provide strong protection against mild and moderate disease from the Beta variant. Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson also reported less protection against Beta.

Alpha (B.1.1.7) was the first of the highly publicized variants. Alpha first appeared in Great Britain in November 2020 and infections surged in December of that year. It soon surfaced around the world and became the dominant variant in the U.S., where the CDC classified it as a variant of concern. Then, Alpha faded away with the rise of the more aggressive Delta variant.

How contagious is it? Some mutations in Alpha’s spike protein were thought to make it more infectious. The B.1.1.7 lineage was believed to be 30 to 50% more contagious than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. In the U.S., in mid-April 2021—before Delta became predominant—Alpha comprised 66% of cases, according to a study released in June by the CDC.

Severity: Studies have suggested the B.1.1.7 lineage was more likely to land infected people in the hospital and was deadlier than the original virus.

Can vaccinations prevent it? Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson all said their vaccines were effective in preventing severe disease and hospitalization in Alpha cases.

This article was medically reviewed by Yale School of Public Health epidemiologist Nathan Grubaugh, PhD. 

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