Global Landscape of a Highly Evolved COVID Variant

Amid a global resurgence, JN.1, the latest COVID-19 variant derived from Omicron, is recognized by global experts as a 'very serious evolution' of the virus ().

JN.1, classified as a variant of interest (VOI) by the World Health Organization (WHO) (). due to its rapid spread, is currently present in about 41 countries.

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Kerala and Karnataka witnessed the JN.1 variant, impacting Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha, and Haryana.

‘Global experts acknowledge the 'very serious evolution' of the COVID virus with the emergence of JN.1, the latest variant from the Omicron lineage, contributing to a fresh surge worldwide. #covid19, #covid19variant, #omicron, #covidvirus ’

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It was first detected in Luxembourg in August. The WHO expects JN.1 to increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries.

The WHO has "just called JN.1 a VOI (variant of interest), and that just doesn’t cut it, with the growth advantage this variant has demonstrated. It is just extraordinary", Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, US, was quoted as saying to Fortune.

JN.1 is a descendent lineage of BA.2.86, with the earliest sample collected on August 25, 2023.

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In comparison with BA.2.86, JN.1 has the additional L455S mutation in the spike protein, making it more transmissible.

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"JN.1 represents a very serious evolution of the virus'. And it isn't over," Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), was quoted as saying.

"JN.1 is an all-new variant with numerous changes that had never been seen in any commonly circulating lineage before. This is unlike other recent variants, which were merely a few mutations from their predecessor," Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association COVID Task Force, told IANS.

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"Therefore, the disease patterns from an immune evasiveness and spread capability of this variant needs careful attention," Dr Jayadevan added.

He explained immune invasiveness of a variant as the ability of the virus to overcome the existing immune response within an individual. After the major variants of COVID like Alpha, Delta, and Omicron, JN.1 very likely represents a new chapter in pandemic evolution, claimed the experts.

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According to Ryan Gregory, a biology professor at the University of Guelph in Canada, JN.1 has ushered in "a new era".

The highly transmissible variant is "on track to become the lineage from which most variants are descended for the foreseeable future", Gregory was quoted as saying to Fortune.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's COVID-19 technical lead said that the next sub-lineages of the COVID virus can "come from JN.1".

"But we could also see something quite different. We could see something like an Omicron again," she said.

Reference:

JN.1 represents 'very serious evolution' of Covid virus, say global experts - (https://ians.in/detail/jn1-represents-very-serious-evolution-of-covid-virus-say-global-experts--20240105190606)
WHO COVID-19 dashboard - (https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/variants)

Source-IANS