India records first JN.1 variant of COVID-19: Should we be concerned? – Firstpost

Kerala has detected the first JN,1 subvariant of COVID in the country in a 79-year-old woman. Experts believe that while vigilance should be increased, there is no reason to panic. File image/Reuters

We are just a few days away from bidding adieu to 2023 but it seems that COVID-19 is here to stay. On Saturday, the Centre confirmed the presence of the JN.1 subvariant of coronavirus in a patient from Kerala a first for the country.

The confirmation of this subvariant of COVID-19 has put the Centre and states on alert; the Health Ministry is in touch with state health authorities and monitoring the situation at points of entry. Moeover, a mock drill has been conducted across health facilities in various states to assess their public health and hospital preparedness measures.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also said that the virus is evolving and changing and urged the member states to continue with strong surveillance and sequence sharing.

With the detection of this subvariant of COVID-19 in India, the question that is being asked then is: Should we be worried?

What is the JN.1 subvariant?

JN.1 was first detected in Luxembourg in August followed by England, Iceland, France, the United States and China. According to COVID scientists, JN.1 is a descendant of the BA.2.86, also known as Pirola which came from Omicron. Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, was quoted as telling Prevention.com, JN.1 is another Omicron variant.

According to experts, the virus has once again mutated; the BA.2.86 underwent a Flip mutation and turned into the JN.1, which now has the ability to bind to our cells even stronger than other Omicron variants and as an increased transmissibility too.

Dr Thomas Russo, a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, stated that JN.1 has an additional mutation on its spike protein from BA.2.86, which is what COVID uses to latch onto your cells and make you sick.

How prevalent is JN.1?

The short answer: very. In the United States, the JN.1 subvariant accounts for more than one-fifth of all infections. Data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that in the two-week period ending on 9 December, while HV.1 accounted for about 30 per cent of COVID-19 cases in the US, it was the JN.1 subvariant, which was the second-most prevalent strain, making up about 21 per cent of cases, followed by EG.5.

In fact, as recently as 14 December, the CDC said, The continued growth of JN.1 suggests that it is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems.

In China too, cases of JN.1 have been detected. The Asian nation has detected seven cases of infection as recently as 16 December. The health authorities said the prevalence of JN.1 was very low in the country. However, it added that it couldnt rule out the possibility of it becoming the dominant strain in China due to factors including imported cases.

Many scientists note that JN.1 could be the reason for the rise in COVID cases in the country. But there are others who say its still too early to tell if JN.1 is to blame for these levels. The CDC noted that the increase in infections could be the regular ebb and flow of COVID.

And Mark Cameron, PhD, associate professor and infectious disease researcher at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, also concurred with the CDC. Speaking to Health.com, he said that the rise in COVID infections meant that the virus is now reaching a wider range of people, many of whom are more vulnerable to severe disease. So even though these numbers are ticking up in tandem with JN.1s rise, it doesnt necessarily mean that the variant is more deadly.

Also read: December Blues: Is COVID-19 making a comeback amid holiday season?

What are the symptoms of JN.1?

Medical experts say it is still unknown if JN.1 causes different symptoms from other variants. In general, symptoms of COVID-19 tend to be similar across variants, the CDC said. The types of symptoms and how severe they are usually depend more on a persons immunity and overall health rather than which variant causes the infection.

Dr Nighat Arif pointed out that those infected by JN.1would get a temperature, a runny nose and a headache and lose their sense of smell. However, some would get diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Another tell-tale sign of JN.1 is the extreme fatigue caused, with some complaining that they feel shattered after catching it.

Doctors have also been quick to point out that vaccines seem to be the effective way of evading the virus. Dr William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, said that people should get their vaccination before they go shopping, attend religious services or travel. He also recommended masking in densely populated indoor areas as another layer of protection.

What do we know about the Indian case?

In India, a 79-year-old woman became the first JN.1 case to be registered. It was detected in an RT-PCR-positive sample from Karakulam in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala on 8 December.

According to doctors, the elderly woman had mild symptoms of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and has since recovered from COVID.

Commenting on the case, Kerala health minister Veena George said that the detection of the infection was not a reason to panic. Speaking to the media about the new variant, George said this was detected months ago in Indian passengers who were screened at Singapore Airport.

There is no need for any concern. Its a sub-variant. It was just found here. Months ago, this variant was detected in a few Indians who were screened at the Singapore Airport. Its just that Kerala has identified the variant here through genome sequencing. There is no need to worry. The situation is being closely monitored, she said.

She, however, asked people to remain cautious and said those with comorbidities should be careful.

And should we be concerned?

Experts across the nation have said that there is no reason to panic and measures such as masking, hand washing should be practised. Dr Anita Mathew, Director-Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Mulund told Economic Times, There is no need to panic as in general, all respiratory illness numbers increase during winter and so far the disease hasnt left people gasping for breath. Hence, though we need to be cautious and mindful to prevent the illness, there is no need to panic.

Dr Ishwar Gilada, Secretary General Peoples Health Organisation-India and Organised Medicine Academic Guild-OMAG, also added that so far the new subvariant JN.1 has not manifested severe symptoms. There are no severe infections, no ICU admissions, no requirement of oxygen and ventilator, he said.

Senior Consultant in Chest Medicine at Delhis Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Ujjwal Prakash told news agency ANI that although vigilance is crucial, there is no need for people to panic. You need to be more vigilant. I dont think that theres reason to panic or do anything extra than just being vigilant.

Echoing similar sentiments, health expert Dr Niroj Misha said that COVID variant JN.1 is a mild disease which has minimum symptoms and only 0.5 per cent requiring some assistance.

Health Expert Dr Niroj Mishra on December 17 told Economic Times, This variant has been deducted first in the USA and now it is actually there are cases in Singapore. Last week, 56,000 of cases have been detected in Singapore. It is spreading faster and it is a mild disease. Out of 56,000 only 350 required hospitalisation and nine in the ICU. There are some cases detected from November in India but so far we dont have big impact. There are 312 case detected today but even this spread in large number of people then also 99.5 per cent will be detected and have minimum symptoms, only 0.5 per cent requiring some assistance.

With inputs from agencies

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Published on: December 18, 2023 09:54:49 IST

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India records first JN.1 variant of COVID-19: Should we be concerned? - Firstpost