INSACOG: 2,083 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1, its lineages detected in India

The INSACOG on January 29 said 2,083 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 and its lineages have been detected in the country so far.

There are 814 SARS-CoV-2 sequences of JN.1 across 18 States and UTs while its sub-lineage JN.1.1 has been detected in 943 cases, according to the data compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).

JN.1.11 has been detected in 244 cases while the rest of the cases were detected in the sub-lineages of JN.1.

Last month, the Centre asked the States and Union Territories to maintain a constant vigil amid detection of new variants in the country.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” given its rapidly-increasing spread, but said it poses a “low” global public health risk.

The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.