New covid-19 variant JN.1 dominant in China, check symptoms and more

JN.1, a new COVID variant, has become dominant in China. A total of 6,653 cases were reported last month

A new COVID variant, JN.1, has recently become dominant in China, according to an update by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). 

Recently, the CDC informed that around 358 new serious cases and 22 deaths were reported in the country between February 1 and 29 due to the JN.1 Covid-19 variant.

China's official newspaper Global Times cites a CDC report mentioning that a total of 6,653 cases were reported last month, and all of them were Omicron variant strains, but the main was the JN. 1 variant.

The report also mentions that the XBB proportion and its sub-branches have declined while the proportion of the JN. 1 and its sub-branches are increasing.

The Global Times also reported that outpatient consultations fluctuated from 202,000 on Feb 1 to 211,000 on February 19, and then the number dropped to 158,000 on February 29.

JN.1 variant symptoms

The new JN. 1 variant doesn't result in any exclusive symptoms. However, patients in China experience cough, runny nose, fever, muscle ache, sore throat and weakness in their body.

Lancet study on JN.1 Covid-19 variant

The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal published a report in February that stressed formulating an urgent strategy to combat the JN. 1 Covid-19 variant due to increased transmissibility and immune escape.

This COVID variant has some unique genetic features. It has more than 30 spike protein mutations, which also include hallmark Leu455Ser.

The University of Tokyo's researchers found that the reproductive number of JN. 1 surpasses that of its counterparts in the UK, France, and Spain.

Where does India stand?

In India, over 2,500 of COVID-19 sub-variant JN. 1 and its lineages were detected in February. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) stated in February that 1,084 SARS-CoV-2 sequences of JN.1 were detected across 18 states and Union Territories in the country. While the sub-lineage JN.1.1 has been detected in 1,111 cases.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) classified JN.1 as a separate "variant of interest" given its rapidly increasing spread.