Don’t panic, say doctors on JN.1 Covid variant

WHO classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a ‘variant of interest’ and not as a ‘variant of concern’ and the current evidence clearly shows that the risk to public health was very low

Hyderabad: Due to the gradual rise of fresh Covid infections from the JN.1 variant, a sub-type of Omicron BA 2.86 in several Indian States, people need to be vigilant, avoid unnecessary panic, and take basic precautions from upper respiratory infections, while celebrating Christmas and New Year festivities during the holiday season, public health experts and epidemiologists on Wednesday, said.

There was no risk to public health from the new strain, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday clarified. Moreover, it also classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a ‘variant of interest’ and not as a ‘variant of concern’ and the current evidence clearly shows that the risk to public health was very low.

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Infectious diseases expert and president emeritus, AIDS Society of India, Dr Ishwar Gilada, urged people to remain vigilant. “JN.1 has immune escape ability which means even if persons were vaccinated earlier, they still can get infected. It is also a little bit more infectious than the previous variants of corona virus.

However, according to WHO, the JN.1 is only a variant of interest. Till it becomes a variant of concern, we need not worry. However, since the next few days are holidays due to New Year and Christmas, people should be alert,” he said.

Senior health officials said that at this point, barring wastewater surveillance, there is no need to take up mass testing, as the symptoms from JN.1 are mild, which include cold and fever. The present trend of the spread of infectious, and symptoms indicated that more than 95 per cent of Covid positive cases were very mild and recovered in homes without needing any hospital admission.

Based on data from the union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), a total of 16 deaths have taken place across India in the last two weeks due to Covid. However, all the fatalities, who tested Covid positive, had severe co-morbid conditions like chronic heart ailments, kidney failure, uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, and neurology issues, senior doctors here said. “There is no reason to panic at this point. We have expedited our preparedness by allocating secure wards, beds, ICU systems, and ventilators. Based on the present trend, the hospital admissions are expected to be a bare minimum,” Superintendents of OGH and Gandhi Hospital Dr G Nagender and Dr M Raja Rao respectively, said.