The CDC calls the JN.1 strain of coronavirus the "fastest growing" in the United States

 

The CDC calls the JN.1 strain of the novel coronavirus the "fastest growing" in the United States

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the COVID-19 JN.1 variant, a descendant of BA.2.86 that emerged this summer, is currently the fastest-growing variant in the United States due to increased holiday travel and declining immunity.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the JN.1 coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, a descendant of this summer's BA.2.86, is currently the fastest-growing variant in the United States.

JN.1 accounts for about 21% of all new COVID-19 infections and is already prevalent in the Northeast, accounting for 32% of new cases.

"Amid the peak respiratory virus season in the United States, a highly mutated form of SARS-CoV-2 is spreading and contributing to a rise in cases nationwide: JN.1," the American Medical Association said in a statement on Tuesday.

JN.1, which debuted in September, gained momentum during the holiday season.

"JN.1 accounts for more than 20% of all cases in the United States and may be more transmissible and better at evading people's immune systems," the AMA added.

JN.1 symptoms are similar to other coronavirus variants, including cough, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, sneezing, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and altered sense of smell.

The CDC and AMA (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) recommend that the best protection is to stay current on coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, wear a medical face mask in crowded places, and practice good hand washing.

"At this time, the projected public health risks of the JN.1 and BA.2.86 variants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, remain low for severe disease compared to other variants," the AMA said. "But during the winter and holiday season, there are more opportunities for the virus to spread as it has over the past two years."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the JN.1 virus more than doubled in the United States between Thanksgiving and mid-December due to additional holiday travel and declining immunity.

"When I look at the growth curve, it's rising very steeply, and it seems to coincide with the Thanksgiving holiday in terms of timing," said Dr. Shishi Luo, head of infectious diseases at genetic sequencing company Helix.

The World Health Organization is also tracking the variant, reporting on Tuesday that JN.1 could become the world's main coronavirus variant by January.

"Due to its rapidly increasing spread, WHO classifies the JN.1 variant as a separate variant of concern from the parent strain BA.2.86," the WHO wrote Tuesday in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"The additional risk to global public health posed by JN.1 is currently assessed as low. However, with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries."