The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the additional public health risk posed by the JN.1 variant of the Covid-19 virus is currently evaluated as low at the global level.

 

“Considering the limited available evidence, the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low at the global level,” WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said.

It is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in positive Covid-19 cases amid a surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season.

“As people travel and gather for festivities during the holiday season, spending a lot of time together indoors where poor ventilation facilitates transmission of viruses that cause respiratory diseases, they must take protective measures and seek timely clinical care when unwell,” said Dr Singh.

The regional director also emphasised the importance of vaccination against Covid-19 and influenza, especially for people at high risk.

“All WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccines continue to protect against severe diseases and deaths from all variants including JN.1,” she said.

Covid-19: Wastewater surveillance in Bengaluru shows wave-like situation

Urges strengthening of surveillance and sequencing

WHO urged the countries in South-East Asia to strengthen surveillance in view of the increasing cases of respiratory diseases, including the ailments due to the Covid-19 virus and its new sub-variant JN.1, and influenza.

The WHO also urged people to take protective measures.

“The Covid-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response.

“For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing, and ensure the sharing of data,” said Dr Singh.

WHO had classified JN.1 as a variant of interest following its rapid global spread. In recent weeks, JN.1 was reported in multiple countries, and its prevalence has been rapidly increasing globally.

In May, following a sustained decline in the trajectory of Covid-19 cases resulting in fewer hospitalisations and deaths, and high levels of collective immunity to SARS-CoV2, WHO declared that Covid-19 no longer constituted a public health emergency of international concern.

While considerable progress has been made in establishing and strengthening a global system to detect and rapidly assess risks posed by SARS-CoV2, testing and reporting of Covid-19 cases decreased.

However, with Covid-19 infections continuing to circulate at high levels globally, countries must strengthen surveillance, sequencing, and reporting to effectively manage respiratory diseases and to protect people’s health, the regional director said.

Cases in India

India saw a single-day rise of 752 coronavirus infections on Sunday, 24 December, the highest since 21 May, 2023. The active cases have increased to 3,420, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

The death toll was recorded at 5,33,332 with four new deaths – two in Kerala, one each in Rajasthan and Karnataka – reported in a span of 24 hours, the data stated.

The country’s Covid-19 case tally stood at 4.50 crore (4,50,07,964). The number of people who recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,71,212, and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 percent, according to the health ministry’s website. The fatality rate stands at 1.19 percent.

The ministry’s website stated that 220.67 crore doses of the Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far.