Centre confirms presence of JN.1 Covid subvariant

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday confirmed the presence of JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19 in a patient from Kerala, the first such case detected in India. JN.1 is closely related to the BA.2.86 variant, also referred to as Pirola, which has been detected in the US and China recently.

As per the government, sample of a Covid positive patient from Thiruvananthapuram came positive for JN.1 on December 8 as part of the ongoing routine surveillance.

"The patient tested positive for Covid on November 18 with mild symptoms of Influenza-Like Illness & has since recovered," said officials.

There has been a rising trend in Covid cases from Kerala in the last few weeks, which has been attributed to an increase in the number of samples from ILI cases being referred for testing. Government sources said a majority of Covid cases detected recently were mild and patients recovered on their own at home without any treatment.

However, as part of a regular exercise of the health ministry, a mock drill in all health facilities is currently under way in states to assess their public health and hospital preparedness measures.

"This activity, which started from December 13, is being carried out under the supervision of district collectors and is likely to be completed by Monday," said an official. "The ministry of health is in regular touch with the department of health in Kerala and monitoring various points of entry," he added.

India on Friday recorded 312 new cases of Covid-19 of which 280 were from Kerala.

Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman, Indian Medical Association Covid Task Force, said the symptoms are mild among those found positive for Covid-19. "It is difficult to pinpoint the cause. However, we are witnessing a surge in cases in Kerala and neighbouring states which could be because people are travelling from countries where cases are still high. The role of JN.1, a sub-variant of BA.2.86, which has been detected in several parts of the world, including India, also needs to be explored," Dr Jayadevan said.

JN.1 was first detected in the US in September 2023. By the end of October, it made up less than 0.1% of SARS-CoV-2 viruses. According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the continued growth of JN.1 suggests that it is either more transmissible or better at evading immune systems. "At this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants," CDC says.

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