More JN.1 Covid cases expected as transmissibility high: Kerala health minister

Kerala health minister Veena George on Friday said the state has been seeing a slight increase in Covid cases since November because its number of sample tests is higher than other states.

The situation is absolutely under control, the health minister said allaying fears about the new JN.1 variant. Kerala reported 265 fresh Covid infections and one death in the last 24 hours.

Several states have reported JN.1 Covid cases the variant that the World Health Organization has categorised as a variant of interest, not of concern yet. Former chief scientists of WHO Soumya Swaminathan said people need to exercise caution but there is no need to worry as there is no data to suggest that this variant is more severe or it is going to cause more pneumonia or more death.

The health ministry said there is no plan to make RT-PCR test mandatory at airports yet though the number of cases is rising. All states and Union Territories have been alerted to keep preparations ready.

JN.1 is a new sub-lineage of BA.2.86, an offshoot of the omicron variant. It has additional mutations in the spike protein. JN.1 has enhanced immune-evasion properties for which it is spreading rapidly. But there are no new or severe symptoms.

JN.1 was first detected in Denmark and Israel in late July 2023.

According to experts, the variant has been circulating in India probably since November.

It has more than 35 amino acid mutations in the parent strain in the spike region, which the virus uses to enter and infect human cells, that may alter its transmissibility.

Cough, cold, throat pain, headache, mild breathlessness are the symptoms of JN.1 like other variants of Covid.