JN.1 COVID Strain: Expert opens up on the severity of new COVID sub-variant JN.1

Talking about the new JN.1 COVID strain, former AIIMS Director and Senior Pulmonologist Dr. Randeep Guleria on December 23, asserted that the new variant was more transmissible and was gradually becoming the dominant variant. At the same time, he added, that it wasn’t severe infection and hospitalization.  " It is more transmissible, it is spreading more rapidly, it is gradually becoming a dominant variant....it is causing more infections but the data also suggests that it is not causing severe infections and hospitalization. Most of the symptoms are predominantly of the upper airways like fever, cough, cold, sore throat, running nose, and body aches," said Randeep Guleria.  Speaking to ANI, chairman of INSAGCOG, Dr NK Arora said, " Within India...from October last week and then till now in last 8 weeks, we have seen 22 cases...there is no evidence that it is spreading very rapidly...Jn.1 is less than 1% of all the isolates so far. Symptoms are very similar, based on symptoms, Jn.1 cannot be differentiated from other variants...there is no increase in hospitalization...there is no need to panic but we need to be vigilant."