Public health institutions worldwide are preparing for a potential resurgence of COVID-19 following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) designation of JN.1 as a “variant of interest” on Tuesday, 19 December. Initially identified in the United States in September, the variant has since proliferated across 41 countries. In early November, the JN.1 variant comprised approximately three percent of all global coronavirus cases, but a month later, in December, it escalated to 27.1 percent. WHO anticipates that the emergence of JN.1 may contribute to a rise in COVID-19 cases, particularly in countries experiencing winter conditions. What is the JN.1 Variant? The latest coronavirus variant, JN.1, has evolved from its predecessor, BA 2.86, which is part of the lineage originating from the more severe ‘Omicron’ variant that peaked last year. Each variant possesses unique ‘spike proteins’ crucial for infecting cells and causing specific symptoms. Changes, or ‘mutations’, in these spike protein DNA sequences indicate the emergence of a new viral ‘variant’. Variants may vary in terms of severity, transmissibility, and response to symptom treatments. The new variant, JN.1, demonstrates increased genetic divergence from its predecessors, reflecting the ongoing evolution of the virus. BA…
A Deep Dive Into the Latest Global Health Concern: the JN.1 Sars-Cov-2 Variant
December 27, 2023
