Covid new variant: Goa reports highest cases of JN.1 among 63 detected in India so far

New Delhi, December 25: As per the Health Ministry, India has identified a total of 63 cases of Covid 19 sub variant JN 1, with Goa recording the highest number of instances as of Sunday.

According to sources, Goa accounted for 34 cases, followed by Maharashtra with nine, Karnataka with eight, Kerala with six, Tamil Nadu with four, and Telangana with two cases of JN.1 Covid variant.

Despite the detections, no clustering of cases has been reported thus far. The health authorities assured that all cases of the JN.1 subvariant exhibited mild symptoms.

The current active Covid-19 cases in the country stand at 4,054, with Kerala reporting the highest number of cases, followed by Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, as per Health Ministry data.

Former WHO chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan said JN.1 variant was of interest rather than concern, urging caution among the populace while reassuring that there was no data suggesting increased severity or higher fatality rates associated with this variant.

Dr NK Arora, chief of the India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), mentioned that no additional vaccine doses are deemed necessary against the JN 1 subvariant at present. He advised individuals aged 60 and above, those with underlying health conditions, and immunocompromised individuals to remain cautious.

Reassuring the public, Dr Arora highlighted that while numerous subvariants of Omicron have been identified, none have demonstrated increased severity or hospitalization rates.

He further outlined the typical symptoms of JN.1, which align with those of other Omicron subvariants, including fever, nasal discharge, cough, occasional diarrhea, and severe body aches, typically resolving within two to five days.

Recently classified as a variant of interest by the WHO, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86, JN.1 has been deemed to pose a low overall risk based on current evidence.

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