expression, noun
variant of interest; VOI
Medical term used in the context of SARS-CoV-2 to denote a variant with genetic changes that may affect virus characteristics and is being monitored.
WHOは新たな注目すべき変異株を監視している。
The WHO is monitoring new variants of interest.
この注目すべき変異株は感染力が高い可能性がある。
This variant of interest may be more transmissible.
A variant of concern (VOC) is a more serious category than a variant of interest (VOI), indicating evidence of increased transmissibility, severity, or reduced effectiveness of public health measures.
A compound of 注目すべき (noteworthy, from 注目 'attention' + すべき 'should do') and 変異株 (variant strain, from 変異 'mutation' + 株 'strain'). The term is a direct translation of the English 'variant of interest' used in epidemiology.