‘VOC 202012/02’ and ‘B.1.351’ aren’t gibberish – why coronavirus variants have weird names

The names need to be distinct and informative, not involving geographic references that are similar in pronunciation or memorable.

from http://www.firstpost.com/tech/science/voc-20201202-and-b-1-351-arent-gibberish-why-coronavirus-variants-have-weird-names-9370371.html