#17,832
As expected, the JN.1 variant - which only first appeared on the CDC's Nowcast 4 weeks ago - continues to climb like a homesick angel, and now makes up roughly 44% of all COVID infections in the country.
It is rapidly eroding its competition, with last week's leader HV.1 dropping from a 30% share to roughly 22%. Similar reductions in other variants are seen pretty much across the board.
The WHO Statement & Risk Assessment On COVID Variant JN.1 published earlier this week stated:
Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low. Despite this, with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries
and:
Current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
But they are recommending that people take actions to protect themselves, including:
- Wear a mask when in crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated areas, and keep a safe distance from others, as feasible
-Improve ventilation
-Practise respiratory etiquette - covering coughs and sneezes
-Clean your hands regularly
-Stay up to date with vaccinations against COVID-19 and influenza, especially if you are at high risk for severe disease
-Stay home if you are sick
-Get tested if you have symptoms, or if you might have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or influenza
For health workers and health facilities, WHO advises:
-Universal masking in health facilities, as well as appropriate masking, respirators and other PPE for health workers caring for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients.
-Improve ventilation in health facilities
Even if this new variant proves to be more severe than other Omicron variants - between the poor uptake of the last two COVID vaccines and JN.1's increased immune evasion - we could see a significant spike in respiratory infections in the weeks ahead.
All of which makes the advice above well worth heeding.
