JN.1 Variant: Global Impact and Urgent Public Health Strategies

The JN.1 subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, which descends from the BA.2.86 ‘Pirola’ strain, has recently gained attention due to its rapid spread and unique mutation in the spike protein. This mutation may increase its ability to infect and evade immune responses, making it the dominant strain in many countries, including the United States, France, Singapore, Canada, the UK, and Sweden. JN.1 presents typical respiratory symptoms but can lead to severe cases, especially in vulnerable populations. The emergence of JN.1 highlights the need for continued surveillance, research, and public health measures to manage the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

Satapathy, P., Kumar, P., Mehta, V., Suresh, V., Khare, A., Rustagi, S., Daulati, M.N., Neyazi, M., Najafi, E. and Neyazi, A., 2024. Global spread of COVID-19’s JN. 1 variant: Implications and public health responses. New microbes and new infections, 57.