JN.1 Variant: Should You Be Worried As New COVID-19 Cases Spike In Many States?

India on Thursday recorded 594 fresh COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, taking the number of active cases in the country to 2,669.

Out of the 594 new COVID-19 infections, Kerala reported 300.

The state also accounted for 3 of the six deaths on December 20.

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JN.1 behind the rise in new cases

The other two COVID-19 deaths were from Karnataka and one from Punjab.

India has seen a sharp increase in new COVID-19 infections in the past few weeks, with the daily numbers reaching a seven-month high.

The new sub-strain JN.1 is believed to be behind the recent rise in COVID-19 cases.

So far, only 21 cases of JN.1 variant of COVID-19 have been identified in India across three states.

19 cases of JN.1 have been traced in Goa and one each in Kerala and Maharashtra. Over the past two weeks, 16 deaths related to COVID-19 were recorded, with the victims having serious co-morbidities.

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JN.1, a variant of interest: WHO

On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) from the parent lineage BA.2.86. It was previously classified as VOI as part of BA.2.86 sublineages.

The WHO defines a variant of interest as one with genetic changes that could increase its transmissibility, virulence, and ability to evade vaccines.

Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low, WHO said.

"Despite this, with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries," it added.

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What health experts say

As COVID cases have increased in Kerala, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Karnataka, the state governments there have urged people to remain cautious and wear masks in public.

While there are growing concerns about another wave of COVID-19 in the country, health experts said precautions are a must, but there is no need for alarm as it is natural for viruses to mutate in due course of evolution.

"In India, people have already been exposed to various sub-variants, including Omicron variants, and received at least two shots of COVID-19 vaccines. There is no renewed risk of SARS-CoV-2 variant or sub-variant causing severe illness," Lahariya said.

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Kartik Vedula, infectious diseases consultant at Hyderabad's Yashoda Hospitals, said JN.1 is a new sub-lineage of BA.2.86, an offshoot of the Omicron variant.

"JN.1 differs with an additional mutation in the spike protein. Studies have shown that JN.1 has enhanced immune evasion properties, with the potential for enhanced transmission. However, there is no current data that shows new or severe symptoms in JN.1 infected individuals, and the public need not panic," Vedula said.

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