Scientists worldwide have raised concerns about a novel COVID-19 mutation that may be more contagious than earlier variations. Kerala is the new location where the coronavirus strain JN.1 was discovered recently. On December 8, the case was identified in an RT-PCR-positive sample from Karakulam in the Thiruvananthapuram district. The 79-year-old woman recovered from COVID after experiencing moderate influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms. Health officials are becoming concerned as this variety again leads to a global illness increase.

The COVID JN.1 variety is probably an Omicron subvariant called BA.2.86 or Pirola. September of this year marked the first detection of the case in the US. New COVID-19 Variant in Kerala: Coronavirus Subvariant JN.1 Detected in Woman, Expert Says 'Markedly Different From Prior Version’.

On December 15, seven examples of the particular subvariant were discovered in China, as reported by Reuters. "Even though BA.2.86 and JN.1 sound very different because of the way variants are named, there is only a single change between JN.1 and BA.2.86 in the spike protein," the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a recent statement.

The spike protein is crucial to the virus's capacity to infect people; it is called a "spike" because it mimics tiny spikes on the virus's surface. Vaccines directed against a virus's spike protein should also be effective against JN.1 and BA.2.86, according to the CDC. Senior Consultant in Chest Medicine at Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Ujjwal Prakash, addressed the appearance of this variety and said that while vigilance is important, people shouldn't worry, according to news agency ANI. New COVID-19 Variants Found: US CDC Flags New Coronavirus Variants JN.1 and HV.1 With Potential To Evade Immune System.

Among the symptoms that have been reported in patients thus far are fever, runny nose, sore throat, headache, and, in some cases, mild gastrointestinal issues. The doctor said most patients have moderate upper respiratory symptoms that go away in four to five days.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2023 05:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).