First identified:  United Kingdom

Spread: Studies have suggested that this variant is much more contagious than the original virus — it has been found to increase transmission by around 50 per cent. The spike protein of this strain helps it bind more closely to cells when it infects people.

Vaccine: Currently authorised vaccines do work against this variant. 

First identified: South Africa

Spread: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this strain may "spread faster than other variants" as it includes one particular change that scientists are closely monitoring: E484K, or the “Eek” mutation.

Vaccine: Currently authorized vaccines do work against this variant. 

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First identified: Japan and Brazil (Discovered in Japanese travellers who have recently been to Brazil).

Spread: One study found that the variant is 1.7 to 2.4 times as transmissible as the original form of the virus.

Vaccine: Infections happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated.

See also: COVID-19 Vaccine In The Philippines: How And Where To Get It?

First identified: India

Spread:  According to COVID Expert Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, there are already 96 countries with Delta variants as of July 2021. The new variant appears to be about 225 per cent more transmissible than original SARS-CoV-2 strains. One study from China concluded that people who are infected with Delta have about "1,000 more copies of the virus in their respiratory tracts than those infected with the original strain."

Vaccine: Even though they may slightly be less effective, research suggests that authorised vaccines still offer protection against this strain.

Delta in the Philippines: Places in the country have been placed under more aggressive forms of quarantine following the threats of Delta strain. As of August 15, 2021, the Health Agency has detected the variant in 809 people.

First identified: United Kingdom

Spread: The Eta variant consists of the same E484K mutation found in Beta variants. The spike protein in eta contains an ‘escape mutation’ that allows the virus to go undetected by some immune defences of the human body.

Vaccine: Neither the WHO nor the CDC has released information regarding the effectiveness of authorised vaccines against this strain.

First identified: United States 

Spread: The strain has rapidly infected people in New York City early in the year. These infections make up more than a quarter of sequences in the city by February. Typically, the strain comes in two forms; one that comes with an E484K, and another with a key mutation that helps it latch onto cells more tightly. 

Vaccine: The efficacy of authorised vaccines are high, but breakthrough infections still occur.

First identified: India

Spread: The Kappa strain is the one closest to the feared Delta variant. Research suggests that it can evade the body's immune defences. When Kappa first spread in India, it has triggered lockdowns and even reached Australia.

Vaccine: Researchers concluded that the antibodies induced by mRNA vaccines will be still strong enough for many hosts and protective immunity is “most likely retained” against Delta and Kappa.

More from Tatler: How Do We Move Past "Languishing" And Thrive Once Again?

First identified: Peru

Spread: As of this writing, Lambda's transmissibility is still being closely monitored by scientists. “This VOI has the potential to affect the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and is currently being monitored for its possible clinical significance,” the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Vaccine: Some studies suggest that the strain could be vaccine-resistant.According to the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, the mutation of this variant is associated with being resistant to immunization efforts. This study, however, has not been peer-reviewed.

Lambda in the Philippines: The first case of Lambda was detected by the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center out of the 373 random COVID-19 cases analysed last August 12. According to DOH, the case was an asymptomatic 35-year-old female. She was tagged as recovered after undergoing a 10-day isolation period. 

First identified: South Africa

Spread: The report released by the WHO revealed that the Omicron has a concerning number of mutations. Preliminary studies said that the risk of reinfection with this variant is higher compared to other variants of concern. Some laboratories have even indicated that for one widely used PCR test, one of the three target genes is not detected. 

Vaccine: As of this post, the threats of Omicron is still being studied; however, medical experts suggest that the best shield against budding strains is vaccination. 

Omicron in the Philippines: The Philippines has yet to record a case of Omicron in the country yet it already expanded its travel restrictions to seven more countries to prevent the spread of the new variant. The IATF added Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy to its so called 'red list'.

First identified: The variant has been detected in at least 13 countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Qatar, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States, and Mexico. 

Spread: Initial studies say that the virus is estimated to spread at least  23-27 per cent faster than the original BA.2 Omicron variant.

Vaccine: The mutations of this variant have the ability to help SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, to enter human cells faster and "evade immunity from vaccines."

Omicron BA.2.12 in the Philippines: According to the Health Department, the country's first case of Omicton BA 2.12 was found in a 52-year-old Finnish female who arrived in the country from Finland last April 2. The patient was not required to undergo routine isolation at a quarantine facility since she was "fully vaccinated and arrived asymptomatic".

First identified: Maurituis

Spread: As of this writing, the B.1.1.318 transmissibility is still being closely monitored by medical experts. “They had a cluster of 120 cases there and this variant under monitoring is the result," Health Undersecretary Vergeire announced in a televised press briefing. 

B.1.1.318 in the Philippines: The first case of B.1.1.318 was detected in a 34-year-old male who arrived in the Philippines from overseas last March 10. The patient recovered last March 25. 

First identified: The XBB 1.5 Omicron subvariant was first identified in October 2022. It has steadily gained prominence in the United States and was given the unofficial nickname "Kraken" by biology professor T. Ryan Gregory of University of Guelph in Canada.

Spread: According to WHO senior epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, the XBB 1.5 Omicton is "the most transmissible" Omicron subvariant that has been detected so far. The official explained that the virus' spike protein can bind to cells better which means it can replicate easily.

However, Francois Balloux of the UCL Genetics Institute in UK assured that the "XBB.1.5 is not anticipated to cause more severe disease than other SARS-CoV-2 lineages in circulation."

XBB.1.5 in the Philippines: In a press briefing on January 3, 2023, DOH reported that the country has yet to record a case of the XBB 1.5 subvariant. 

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