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In 2023, COVID-19 cases have predominantly stayed at low levels, but a slight uptick has been observed in early December, according to the WHO. The emergence of the new sub-variant JN.1 in various countries, notably causing spikes in the US, China and Singapore ahead of the holidays, has raised concerns about the possibility of a surge. However, the sub-variant is entirely not new and has been identified in small numbers across several countries for a few months. But what is this variant, and is India on alert too? Let’s find out!
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), JN.1, a variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, is a closely related offshoot of the variant BA.2.86. As per the CDC, there is only a single change between JN.1 and BA.2.86 in the spike protein. JN.1 was first detected in the US in September 2023. The United States Public Health Agency estimates that the JN.1 variant constitutes approximately 15–29% of the total COVID-19 cases in the country.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “The types of symptoms and how severe they are usually depend more on a person’s immunity and overall health rather than which variant causes the infection.” Generally, the symptoms of COVID-19 remain similar across different variations.
According to a report in The Times of India, the new coronavirus variant was first detected in Kerala on December 13. The latest data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) also confirmed its presence in Kerala. Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association COVID Task Force has suggested that the JN.1 might be a contributing factor to the recent surge in India’s COVID-19 cases, which currently stand at 1, 296.
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