Covid news LIVE: ‘No need for additional dose of vaccine for Covid subvariant JN.1,’ says INSACOG chief

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Covid news LIVE: Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in India and the detection of a subvariant JN.1, India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora said that no additional dose of vaccine is needed against the subvariant at present.“Every week you hear something new coming up in different parts and then it spreads all over India. We have identified a large number of subvariants, over 400 subvariants, or mutations of this virus, and fortunately, none of these Omicron variants have really been associated with more severe disease or hospitalisation," Dr NK Arora told ANI.The total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country was recorded at 3,420.The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently designated JN.1 as a variant of interest, differentiating it from its parent lineage BA.2.86.

Despite its swift dissemination, the global health organization has underscored that the overall risk associated with JN.1 is currently considered low based on available evidence.This decision by the WHO to classify JN.1 as a distinct variant of interest is a departure from its earlier classification as part of the BA.2.86 sublineages.Check all the Covid news LIVE Updates here In response to the emergence of the new COVID sub-variant JN.1, the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department issued guidelines on Saturday. They urged vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, to wear face masks when they go out and avoid crowded places."With the emergence of the JN1 COVID variant, the Odisha government has advised the elderly and those with co-morbidities to wear facemasks while going out and avoid visiting crowded places," the Odisha Health & Family Welfare Department