COVID subvariant JN.1 surges to 50% of US cases

NEW YORK, Dec 23: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Friday that the COVID subvariant JN.1 constitutes 39% to 50% of cases in the United States as of December 23, based on the agency's projections. This marks a notable rise from the CDC's earlier estimate of 15% to 29% of cases in the country as of December 8.

According to the CDC, this variant continues to contribute to a growing proportion of infections and has become the predominant circulating variant in the nation. The ongoing increase in prevalence suggests that the variant may be either more transmissible or more adept at evading immune responses compared to other variants currently in circulation.

The CDC emphasized that it is too early to determine whether JN.1 will lead to a surge in infections or hospitalizations. However, the agency noted that existing vaccines, tests, and treatments remain effective against this variant.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization designated JN.1 as a "variant of interest" and stated that current evidence indicates a low risk to public health from this particular strain.