A total of 263 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been detected in the country so far, with about half of them recorded in Kerala. The presence of the JN.1 sub-variant has been reported in ten states and Union territories across the nation.
As per the data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), the states reporting cases of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 include Kerala (133), Goa (51), Gujarat (34), Delhi (16), Karnataka (eight), Maharashtra (nine), Rajasthan (five), Tamil Nadu (four), Telangana (two), and Odisha (one). The INSACOG data indicates that out of the 239 recorded COVID-19 cases in December, the JN.1 sub-variant was present, and 24 such cases were identified in November.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” given its rapidly-increasing spread, but said it poses a low global public health risk. The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.
In the past few weeks, cases of the JN.1 sub-variant have been consistently reported from various countries, signifying a rapid global increase in its prevalence. Given the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and the identification of the JN.1 sub-variant within the country, the Central government has urged states and Union territories to remain vigilant and maintain heightened surveillance.