JN.1 sets off alarm bells in India: All you need to know about the Covid variant

In the wake of India’s first case of the new JN.1 Covid-19 variant being reported in Kerala on December 8, the Central Government has issued an advisory to all states and union territories to ramp up healthcare facilities and improve surveillance to minimise the risk of transmission. 

The Karnataka state government has made masks compulsory for people above the age of 60. Cases of Covid-19 have once again started to grow. As of December 19, at the time of writing, the Indian government reported 1,970 active cases. 

With Christmas and New Year nearing, the central government has asked all states and UTs to be alert. The WHO has also alerted all member states to be on strict surveillance.

Here’s all you need to know about the new Covid-19 variant JN.1. 

- The JN.1 variant is a sub-variant of the BA.2.86, commonly known as 'Pirola'. JN.1 was first detected in the US in September 2023.

- The JN.1 variant only differs from the BA.2.86 variant in terms of the spike protein. 

- The symptoms of the JN.1 variant are similar to other Omicron variants, including fever, a runny nose, headache and a loss of sense of smell. In some cases, people experience severe fatigue.

"The continued growth of JN.1 suggests that it is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems. At this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants," the Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta said in an analysis. The JN.1 variant has been growing the fastest in the United States. 

Currently, there is no clear evidence to suggest that JN.1 is more severe than the original Omicron. While the severity of JN.1 is still unclear, and likely to be mild, it is essential to stay vigilant and follow best practices to prevent the spread of Covid-19, as per experts. 

Speaking to DH about the recent Covid-19 outbreak in Kerala, Dr Vishal Rao, Bengaluru-based head and neck oncologist, and formerly part of the Covid Genomic Surveillance committee said “ We know that the virus has been constantly evolving and this outbreak has not come as any surprise. Early on, there was the XBB strain, then the BA2.86 and now it’s the JN.1. What’s concerning is that this virus won’t stop its evolution."

"Globally, the worry has been if it evolves to a deadlier variant, which like Delta had the power to penetrate the lungs, it may be a global concern. As far as Omicron is concerned, we were particularly lucky as the variant lacked the TMPRSS2 pathway which did not let it habitat lungs. And of course, vaccines gave us partial immunity,” he added.