WHO urges increased safety measures due to new coronavirus variant JN.1
The UN World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for vigilance and additional precautions due to the emergence of a new coronavirus variant: JN.1, RIA Novosti reports
A highly mutated strain – a descendant of the famous Omicron – is reported to be spreading rapidly throughout the world, with WHO classifying it as a group of ‘variants of interest’.
Initially, Omicron gave rise to the variant Pirola (BA.2.86), which caused concern among specialists due to its ability to bypass immunity. However, studies have shown that the current COVID-19 vaccines – developed specifically to combat Omicron – also have an effective impact on Pirola. For this reason, WHO has downgraded the status of Pirola from ‘variants of interest’ to ‘variants under monitoring.
However, the new JN.1 variant is causing great concern due to its rapid spread throughout the world. At the moment, it already accounts for 43 percent of all cases of COVID-19, and it has practically replaced all other genuine variants of Pirola. WHO stresses the importance of following all safety measures.
