New Delhi: The Indian SARS-CoV2 Genomic Consortium (INSACOG) has ruled out any disease severity or hospitalisation due to JN.1 sub-variants of COVID-19. The INSACOG, however, admitted that JN.1 is dominant at present. “Omicron and its recombinant variants XBB and XBB.1.16 used to be the dominant variants in India. But, for the last couple of weeks, 80 per cent of the submitted sequences are of JN.1 sub-variants,” the INSACOG said in its latest bulletin.
It further stated that since the testing and the sampling frequency of this particular variant is less in several parts of the country, the overall scenario might not be clear yet. “INSACOG is continuing the surveillance for the emerging variants,” it stated. As of this date, 2497 JN.1 variants of COVID-19 have been detected across different States in the country. Maharashtra and Karnataka reported the highest number of JN.1 variants, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal, Goa and Tamil Nadu.
JN.1 variants have also been found in Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Nagaland. Setup by the Health Ministry, INSACOG studies and monitors genome sequencing and virus variation of circulating strains of COVID-19 in the country.
Speaking to ETV Bharat on the JN.1 variant, Dr Giridhar Gyani, the general secretary of the Association of Health Care Providers (AHCP-India), said that JN.1 is not a variant of concern (VoC). “Although, it’s a Variant of Interest (VoI) we need a good number of cases from across the country to ascertain the capacity of this variant. As a limited number of cases of JN.1 have been detected till date, we need to wait for some more time to exactly know its character,” said Dr Gyani.