CNBC TV18
By Priyanka Deshpande
Published Dec 20, 2023
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a “Variant of Interest”. With over 20 cases detected in India, should you be worried? Here’s all you need to know about this strain of the Covid-19 virus.
Viruses change all the time. These changes are called “mutations” and the resulting virus is called a “variant”. Covid-19 variants today are more easily transmissible and infect people much faster.
WHO considers Variants of Interest if the SARS-CoV-2 variant has mutations that are suspected or known to cause significant changes from its original strain and is spreading widely in many places or many countries.
JN.1 is another descendent of Omicron. It is closely related to BA.2.86, commonly known as Pirola. The two variants are nearly identical, except for a single difference in their spike proteins, the part of the virus that allows it to invade human cells.
The JN.1 variant of SARSCoV-2 can evade the immune system and transmit more easily than other currently circulating variants.
The symptoms caused by JN.1 include sore or scratchy throat, fatigue, headache, congestion, runny nose, cough, and fever.
JN.1 was first detected in the United States in September; it now makes up about an estimated 15% to 29% of cases. The strain has also been detected in China, Singapore & India.
WHO says the variant poses a "low" global health risk. The spike in JN.1-caused infections could be due to increased contagiousness or better evasion of immune defenses, but other factors like holiday gatherings may contribute to the surge.
As of now there is no evidence that JN.1 causes more severe disease than other viral strains. It’s more contagious, which may cause more infections.
WHO said that current vaccines will continue to protect against severe disease from JN.1 and other circulating variants of the Covid-19 virus.