A worrisome new subvariant of COVID is on the rise just in time for the holidays, officials have warned.
The JN.1 subvariant — which stems from the Omicron variant that surged in early 2022 — is “rapidly increasing globally,” the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Tuesday.
JN.1 causes about 20 percent of new coronavirus infections in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates.
The variant evolved from BA.2.86, a descendant of the Omicron variant that made headlines over the summer when scientists worried that it might mutate beyond vaccine and antibody capacity, CNN reported.
JN.1 has only one change in the spike protein compared to BA.2.86, but appears to be a faster-moving virus, the outlet explained.
The prevalence of JN.1 in the US has more than doubled since late November, the CDC estimates — which may have something to do with the start of the holiday travel frenzy.
The CDC has released alarming statistics about the JN.1 variant. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
“When I just looked at the growth curve, it increased quite sharply, and it seemed to coincide with the Thanksgiving break in terms of timing,” Dr. Shishi Luo, head of infectious diseases for the genomic sequencing company Helix, told CNN.
Although there are concerns about the spread of JN.1, the severity of the disease is not necessarily worse, experts say.
“Although there has been a rapid increase in JN.1 infections, and a possible increase in cases, the limited evidence available does not indicate that the associated disease severity is higher,” WHO explained.
The increase in cases appears to be closely related to the holidays. Getty Images
There is no indication that the symptoms of JN.1 are different from the general illness of COVID — including fever, chills, difficulty breathing, congestion and more — the CDC said.
The growth of JN.1 cases in the US ahead of the public holidays is likely due to a decline in immunity, according to experts.
The mutation on the variant spike is in a position that seems to help it release the body’s immunity, Dr. T. Ryan Gregory, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario, told CNN.
Only about 18 percent of US adults have gotten the latest COVID booster. Christopher Sadowski
There is also a twofold decrease in the ability of the human body’s antibodies to neutralize the subvariants, studies from Columbia University and in China show.
As of December 9, only about 18 percent of adults in the US had received the latest round of the COVID vaccine, the CDC added.
The organization is calling on medical professionals to work harder to ensure their patients receive all rounds of the vaccine, CNN reported.
The JN.1 is the fastest growing variant in the US. AFP via Getty Images
“Few people are getting boosters, and even fewer people are getting Paxlovid,” Dr. Alex Greninger, assistant director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at the University of Washington, told the outlet.
“There’s a lot of work to get that vaccine and to get that drug, so it’s sadder when that tool isn’t used,” he said.
The alarming surge in the JN.1 variant comes amid an uptick in respiratory illnesses in New York City and beyond — as well as a 30 percent jump in COVID-related hospitalizations.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
