New Delhi: The Health Ministry disclosed on Wednesday that a total of 109 cases of the JN.1 COVID variant have been recorded across Bharat as of December 26. Among these, 36 cases were identified in Gujarat, 34 in Karnataka, 14 in Goa, 9 in Maharashtra, 6 in Kerala, 4 in Rajasthan, 4 in Tamil Nadu, and 2 in Telangana, according to ministry sources.
Addressing concerns about the new variant, Dr. Bobby Bhalotra, Vice Chairman in the Department of Chest Medicine at Gangaram Hospital, reassured the public that the JN.1 variants are currently exhibiting mild symptoms and are part of the Omicron virus family. He emphasized that while there is no need for panic, it is a signal of resurgence, and precautions must be taken due to its higher infectiousness compared to the normal COVID virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently designated JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86. However, the WHO underlined that the overall risk associated with JN.1 remains low based on the available evidence. The organization stressed the importance of taking precautionary measures to prevent the potential spread of the variant.
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