China has reportedly detected seven infections of the COVID subvariant JN.1 on Friday, December 15.
According to Chinese officials, JN.1 prevalence is presently "very low" nationwide. However, in addition, they declined to rule out the chance that it could become the predominant strain in China due to many circumstances, including imported cases, reported the news agency Reuters quoting the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration.
On December 13, the COVID subvariant JN.1 was detected for the first time in Kerala, reported the Times of India, adding that it triggered concerns over the rising number of cases in the southern state.
According to a report in The Times of India on Wednesday, December 13, Kerala detected its first case of the COVID subvariant JN.1, which raised concerns about the increasing number of cases in the southern state.
According to the most recent data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), it is confirmed that Kerala has the presence of the new variant. Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, the co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association COVID Task Force, even suggested that JN.1 might have something to do with the recent spike in COVID cases in India, which now stands at 938.
According to figures released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, USA Today stated that the JN.1 variety is currently responsible for over one-fifth of all cases in the United States.
As per CDC's latest reporting period, the JN.1 variant cases involving mutation make up between 15 per cent and 29 per cent of COVID-19 infections, which previously accounted for about 8 per cent of cases.
Although the severity of the variant is still unknown, according to Dr Jayadevan of IMA, cases are severe enough to cause exhaustion that lasts for about 48 hours, as well as upper respiratory symptoms like coughing and sore throats.