COVID subvariant JN.1 in Kerala raises concerns; check details

A new instance of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 surfaced in Kerala on December 8, confirmed by official sources this Saturday.

The positive result emerged from an RT-PCR test conducted on a 79-year-old woman on November 18. Sources indicated that despite experiencing mild influenza-like symptoms (ILI), she has successfully recuperated from COVID-19.

As per the sources, over 90% of the current COVID-19 cases in India are mild, with individuals in home isolation as part of the precautionary measures.

Earlier in Singapore, an Indian traveller originating from Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirapalli district was identified with the JN.1 sub-variant. The individual had journeyed to Singapore on October 25.

No surge in cases has been recorded in the Tiruchirapalli district or other areas within Tamil Nadu subsequent to the detection of this strain.

Sources affirmed, "No other occurrences of the JN.1 variant have been traced within India."

The JN.1 sub-variant, initially detected in Luxembourg and subsequently appearing in various countries, traces its lineage back to the Pirola variant (BA.2.86). Its distinctive characteristic lies in a considerable number of mutations, especially within the spike protein, potentially contributing to heightened infectivity and evasive mechanisms against immunity, elucidated a source.

Meanwhile, India witnessed a daily surge of 339 new COVID-19 infections, causing the active caseload to climb to 1,492, as per the latest data from the Union Health Ministry updated on Saturday. The death toll reached 5,33,311 (5.33 lakh), according to the 8 am update.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 4,50,04,481 (4.50 crore). Notably, 4,44,69,678 (4.44 crore) individuals have successfully recovered from the disease, contributing to a national recovery rate of 98.81%, as reported by the health ministry website.