NEW DELHI: According to data updated by INSACOG on Tuesday, there have been 263 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 detected in the country to date, with approximately half of those cases being reported in Kerala. The JN.1 sub-variant of the virus has been found in ten states and Union territories thus far. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) lists these states as follows: Kerala (133), Goa (51), Gujarat (34), Delhi (16), Karnataka (eight), Maharashtra (nine), Rajasthan (five), Tamil Nadu (four), Telangana (two), and Odisha (one). According to INSACOG data, JN.1 was found in 239 of the country’s recorded Covid cases in December, compared to 24 cases in November.Despite its fast spreading nature, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated JN.1 as a distinct “variant of interest” and stated that it presents a “low” risk to global public health. The world body stated that the JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously categorised as a variant of interest (VOI) as a component of the parent lineage that is categorised as a VOI, the BA.2.86 sub-lineages. Nonetheless, JN.1 cases have been reported from several nations in recent weeks, and the virus’s prevalence has risen sharply worldwide. Due to an increase in Covid cases and the discovery of the JN.1 sub-variant in the nation, the Centre has requested that the states and Union territories keep a continuous watch. The Health Ministry released data on Tuesday showing that there were 573 new coronavirus infections in India, while there were 4,565 active cases.
