COVID Variant JN.1 Listed as 'Variant of Interest'

New COVID Variant JN.1 Designated as a ‘Variant of Interest’

December 20, 2023 TruthUSA

The World Health Organization made the designation this week.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday listed the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 as a “variant of interest” but the U.N. agency and some health officials say that there is currently no evidence suggesting it’s more severe or a significant health risk.

Due to “limited evidence” that is currently available, the U.N. agency said that the variant “may cause an increase in SARS-CoV-2 cases amid surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season,” referring to the virus that causes COVID-19.

Despite the recent classification, WHO says that JN.1 likely poses a low risk compared with other COVID-19 variants.

“The spread of this variant will unlikely increase the burden on national public health systems compared to other Omicron sublineages,” WHO said. “However, countries approaching the winter season should be aware that, altogether, SARS-CoV-2 and co-circulating pathogens may exacerbate the respiratory disease burden.”

JN.1 now joins other Omicron sub-variants including BA.2.86, XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16, EG.5, and BA.2.86 that were deemed variants of interest. WHO lists variants under three categories: variants under monitoring, which is the lowest level; variants of interest; and variants of concern, or the highest level.

JN.1 was previously classified a variant of interest as part of its parent lineage BA.2.86, but WHO has now classified it as a separate variant of interest.

“COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising quickly,” the federal agency said in a weekly update. “Since the summer, public health officials have been tracking a rise in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which is caused by COVID-19. Influenza activity is growing in most parts of the country. RSV activity remains high in many areas.”

Meanwhile, CDC Director Mandy Cohen told ABC News last week that her agency believes the United States has hit the “peak” for RSV hospitalizations, “which means we’re seeing the most number of cases we expect in the season, may start to see some declines already in some of our southern and southeast states, but pretty active across the country.”

The agency chief said only a small number of hospitals are experiencing a strain due to respiratory viruses like RSV or COVID-19. Pediatric hospitals, she said, have also been managed to treat RSV patients.

The CDC on Dec. 14 also sent out a health advisory to health care providers urge people to get influenza, COVID-19, or RSV vaccines due to “low vaccination rates” across the United States.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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