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The WHO skipping Xi (Ξ ξ) in its COVID-19 variant classifications, for whatever reason cough, means that at least one of these will remain rarer than it should.
by brigandish 5y ago
The WHO skipping Xi (Ξ ξ) in its COVID-19 variant classifications, for whatever reason cough, means that at least one of these will remain rarer than it should.
- qznc 5y ago> "'Nu' is too easily confounded with 'new,' and 'Xi' was not used because it is a common last name," the WHO said, adding that the agency's "best practices for naming disease suggest avoiding 'causing offence to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups.'" > Those best practices were outlined in a May 2015 document issued by the agency. The organisation said at the time that it wanted to "minimise unnecessary negative effects on nations, economies and people" when naming infectious diseases. source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/omicron-why-who-skipped-nu-xi-for-new-covid-variant/FVDXAQVVQU4H45QYA5KFVNKDFE/ https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/omicron-why-who-skipped-nu-...
- brigandish 5y agoIgnoring the - what I thought was obvious - joke, why didn't they skip eta then? I'd also say that confusing nu with new to be just as nebulous.