Latest Covid variant: JN.1 symptoms, transmissibility; all about new strain
A new variant of Covid-19 has been dominant across several parts of the world — especially Southeast Asia.
In Hong Kong, the infection rate has risen from 1.7 per cent in mid-March to 11.4 per cent according to figures from the Centre for Health Protection. In Singapore, cases jumped by 28 per cent in a week, to 14,200 cases from April 27 to May 3, compared to 11,100 cases in the previous week.
The rising rate of diagnoses has risen concerns in some parts of Asia and India, with residents exercising more caution to stay safe from the virus.
Here is everything you need to know about the newest variant JN.1:
What is the new variant?
JN.1, a strain of the Omicron variant (also known as the Pirola strain), was first identified in late 2023. It gained attention because of its rapid spread and high number of mutations, particularly in the spike protein.
Is it more transmissible?
The short answer: yes. The new Covid variant is more transmissible than the others because it contains more than 30 mutations in just the spike protein.
This, however, does not mean that the impact of contracting this variant is more severe.
JN.1 symptoms
Symptoms of this strain are relatively similar to that of the Omicron one:
Will my vaccine still work?
Yes, your vaccines will still protect you from hospitalisation and extreme symptoms in case you do end up contracting the new strain of the virus.
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