# Virus Variant Naming **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 16, 2021, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-variant-naming/938047 "2021-03-16T22:06:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 2
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-variant-naming/938047/2 "2021-03-16T23:36:22Z")
Previous topics: > [@Regional Virus names bad. So what do we call the new variants?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-virus-names-bad-so-what-do-we-call-the-new-variants/931715): > > You may remember early reports of the “China Virus”, but the World Health Organization did not recognize that – the decision to refrain from geographic titles for viruses was made long before. So what are the proper names for “the UK Variant” or the “South African Variant” that keep popping up in the news? Hopefully something that is concise. > [@"China virus" is clearly racist. Why isn't "UK variant"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/china-virus-is-clearly-racist-why-isnt-uk-variant/932222): > > I am firmly in the camp that using the phrase “China virus” is racist on its face and that anyone that uses it is doing so to parrot Trump who is IMO, a racist. But when I hear the phrases “UK variant”, “Brazilian variant”, or “South African variant”, I don’t think of racism at all. I prefer to be consistent in my thinking and I’m having difficulty justifying my thoughts. I’m left with the conclusion that “China virus” isn’t in and of itself a racist phrase but that there is an underlying mes… Basically, no one had a variant naming system in place so the media is making the call. I personally think a variant getting named for a country is less troublesome than the whole disease. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-variant-naming/938047)._