The JN.1 coronavirus strain has been classified as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to experts, although this strain can evade the immune system and spread more easily than other variants, there is no evidence of it causing more severe disease. Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, stated that while there may be more cases with the JN.1 variant, it does not pose a greater risk. Previously, JN.1 was considered a variant of interest within the BA.2.86 lineage, but it is now classified as a separate variant of interest by the WHO. The WHO also reassured that current vaccines are effective in protecting against severe disease and death caused by JN.1 and other circulating variants of the COVID-19 virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the JN.1 subvariant accounts for an estimated 15% to 29% of cases in the United States as of December 8th. The CDC stated that there is currently no evidence suggesting that JN.1 poses a higher risk to public health compared to other circulating variants, and an updated vaccine could provide protection against this variant. The JN.1 variant was first identified in the United States in September. Recently, China detected seven cases of the COVID subvariant.
