JN.1 Covid variant: Experts allay fears, cite low public health risk
precautionary measures. The announcement about the increasing numbers of the new sub-variant, detected in three states, came with the Union Health Ministry reporting 614 new Covid infections, marking the highest daily count since May 21.
As panic spread and Covid came under the spotlight again, experts stepped in to say there is no need to panic — available treatments are effective, the infection is mild and all viruses mutate.
«As it happens with most respiratory viruses, including the influenza viruses, the circulating viruses keep changing. Therefore, a sub-variant of SARS CoV-2 is not a surprise at all,» Chandrakant Lahariya, a senior consultant physician and public health expert, told PTI.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is circulating in all settings, he said.
According to official sources, 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.
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 that has genetic changes which could increase its transmissibility, virulence, and its 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.
India has also alerted states to take necessary precautionary measures.
Addressing concerns about
