As of Sunday, a total of 63 cases of the COVID-19 subvariant JN.1 have been identified, with Goa recording the highest number of cases, according to Health Ministry sources on Monday. Among the reported cases, 34 are from Goa, nine from Maharashtra, eight from Karnataka, six from Kerala, four from Tamil Nadu, and two from Telangana. Despite the spread across states, there is no evidence of clustering and all cases of the JN.1 subvariant exhibit mild symptoms.
The overall active COVID-19 cases in the country stand at 4,054, with Kerala reporting the highest number. Health Ministry data reveals that 37 COVID-19 cases are from Goa, 344 from Karnataka, 3,128 from Kerala, and 50 from Maharashtra.
Former World Health Organisation (WHO) chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan has assured the public that there is no need for panic as JN.1 is classified as a variant of interest, not a variant of concern. Dr Swaminathan emphasized the importance of caution and recommended adhering to precautionary measures.
“We need to be cautious, but we don’t need to worry because we don’t have any data to suggest that this variant JN.1 is more severe or it’s going to cause more pneumonia, more deaths,” stated Dr Swaminathan.
Addressing concerns about additional vaccine doses, India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora stated that no extra vaccine doses are currently required for the JN.1 subvariant. He stressed the importance of prevention, particularly for individuals aged 60 and older, those with comorbidities, and those on immune-suppressing medications.
Dr. Arora highlighted that various subvariants of Omicron, including JN.1, have been identified, but none have shown increased severity. He noted that symptoms of JN.1 are similar to other Omicron subvariants, including fever, nasal discharge, cough, occasional diarrhoea, and severe body aches, with most individuals recovering within two to five days.
The World Health Organization recently classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86, while emphasizing that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.