We had zero qualms about refering to UK variant and South Africa variant.<p>This is just the Indian government focussing on image management instead of actually doing something useful.<p>Remember kids, each time you call it India variant, Modiji cries.
This is something I've personally done. I call it B1617 because I thought it was bad taste when the last president called it the [country] virus, or the [city] flu, and I feel Indians deserve the same respect.
<i>.. in Bedford due to Indian variant</i>
<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27250045" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27250045</a> ..
(waves?)<p>On linked picture super-precise _descriptions_ by BBC:<p><pre><code> UK "Kent" variant B.1.1.7
UK "India" variant B.1.617.2
Brazil variant P.1
South Africa variant B.1.351
</code></pre>
Edit:<p><pre><code> UK, same as in India, variant B.1.617.2</code></pre>
- would it be fine ? (but longer) - if <i>Indian</i> may be misleading regarding Jack000 comment.<p>If recombination happen (variant with B.1.1.7 and B.1.617.2 mutations) it may be called here <i>UK "Bedford (& Glasgow?)" variant</i> without <i>"India"</i> in the description.
As they should, look at the trouble caused by calling COVID-19 the `China virus` or `Wuhan Flu`.<p>I suspect, but cannot prove it is attributable to /some/ of the anti asian sentiment we've seen of late.
This is the Indian variant of stupidity.<p>The government has no authority to polish its public image and it could just issue a clarification I needed. But simply asking companies to recall the harmless pair of words is hopeless & demonstrates lack of understanding of civil liberties by current politicians.