A novel sub-variant of the coronavirus, named JN.1, has been identified in Kerala, raising concerns among health authorities and hospitals about the need for preparedness. The alert was sounded after a 79-year-old woman in Kerala was found to be infected with this sub-variant.
The JN.1 variant is considered a descendant of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2.86 or Pirola. First identified in the United States in September 2023, China reported seven cases of this sub-variant on December 15, according to a Reuters report. Pirola has been spreading across 38 countries, including India, and is believed to be contributing to the recent surge in hospitalizations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the BA.2.86 variant has a total of 20 mutations on the spike protein, a concern as viruses use spike proteins to attach to host cells. The CDC, in a report from October, stated that there is only one change between JN.1 and BA.2.86 in the spike protein. According to Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association Covid Task Force, the JN.1 variant can spread more rapidly and evade immunity.
“JN.1 is a severely immune-evasive and fast-spreading variant, markedly different from XBB and all other prior versions of this virus. This enables it to infect people who had previous Covid infections and also people who were vaccinated,” he said, as quoted by news agency ANI. Dr. Ujjwal Prakash, a senior consultant in Chest Medicine at Delhi’s Ganga Ram Hospital, explained that JN.1, like other variants observed globally, is a mild variant causing upper respiratory symptoms, as reported by the agency.
Symptoms of the JN.1 variant include mild fever, coughing, discomfort in the nasal passages, sore throat, runny nose, pain or pressure in the face, headache, and gastrointestinal issues.
Due to its high transmissibility, experts have noted that JN.1 has become a dominant strain of the coronavirus, and they emphasize the importance of preventive measures. To curb the spread of the JN.1 strain, experts recommend taking booster shots, practicing social distancing, frequent handwashing, and wearing masks in public places.
The JN.1 strain was detected during routine surveillance by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) in a 79-year-old woman in Karakulam, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, after her RT-PCR positive sample was confirmed on December 8, according to Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General of the ICMR.
Despite the reported cases across countries, Kerala Health Minister Veena George reassured that JN.1 is “not a cause for concern.”
