Amid New Year and Christmas, new Covid variant JN.1 poses major threat

After a short-lived respite, the Indian state of Kerala is experiencing a concerning resurgence of COVID-19 cases. The active cases in the state have surged sharply from 33 to 768 within the span of a month.

The COVID-19 virus, like any other virus, undergoes constant mutations as part of its natural evolution, leading to the emergence of new variants. One such variant, JN.1, was initially identified in the U.S. in September. It was initially categorized alongside BA.2.86, also known as Pirola, which is a descendant of the omicron family. Early concerns among researchers about potential risks posed by Pirola have somewhat eased, as recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate a decline in cases. In contrast, the original omicron variant had caused a significant strain on hospital systems in 2022.

Covid subvariant JN.1, a descendant of Pirola or BA.2.86 , has been detected for the first time in Kerala after eluding India’s genome surveillance efforts for weeks, triggering concerns about its potential impact on the rising cases there. The latest data from INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium) confirmed the presence of this variant in Kerala. Amid the spike in COVID cases, the state has reported deaths resulting from the infection. As per official data, three COVID-19 deaths were reported in the state in the past 10 days. The confirmation of the deaths comes even as testing remains low.The health department has directed the families of Covid victims to follow protocol during the funeral.