[PLUG-TALK] naming COVID variants

[Keith Lofstrom]

Naming COVID variants after their likely origin - China,
Britain, South Africa, Brazil - is politically incorrect.

The four different scientific nomenclatures, like
"B.1.1.7", "20H/501Y.V2", "VOC-202101/02", "CAL.20C"
are absurd.

An asteroid-discovering astronomer friend suggests an
easy-to-remember naming convention:

COVID-Donald, COVID-Melania, COVID-Marla, COVID-Ivana,
COVID-Fred, COVID-Elizabeth, COVID-Maryann, COVID-Robert,
COVID-Jared, COVID-Eric, COVID-Lara, COVID-Tiffany,
COVID-Barron, COVID-Kai, COVID-Chloe, COVID-John,
COVID-Tristan, COVID-Spencer, COVID-Arabella, COVID-Joseph,
COVID-Theodore, COVID-Carolina ...

I left COVID-Ivanka and COVID-Mary off the list, because
we don't want COVID patients mistakenly treated for the
wrong variant.

More than 12 major variants (thus involving the children)
would be bad.  More than 22 major variants would be awful. 
More wives and children to name variants after would also
be awful.  PLEASE, let's not go there.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com