WHO Says Risk 'Low' , From COVID Strain Deemed , 'Variant of Interest'.<br />'The Independent' reports that the JN.1 variant of COVID-19 <br />has been classified as a "variant of interest" by officials <br />who added that it poses a minor threat to public health.<br />On December 19, the World Health Organization <br />(WHO) said that the risk from the JN.1 variant <br />remains "low," based on current evidence.<br />Previously, this variant was classified as <br />a variant of interest due to its lineage with <br />the Omicron variant, otherwise known as BA.2.86.<br />According to the WHO, current vaccines continue to <br />offer protection from severe disease and death from <br />JN.1 and other COVID variants currently in circulation.<br />According to the WHO, current vaccines continue to <br />offer protection from severe disease and death from <br />JN.1 and other COVID variants currently in circulation.<br />Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control <br />and Prevention said that the JN.1 subvariant accounts <br />for an estimated 15% to 29% of current cases in the U.S.<br /> In August, JN.1 was first detected in Luxembourg, <br />before later being detected in other countries <br />that included the U.S., U.K. and France.<br />Last week, seven cases of the JN.1 <br />subvariant were detected in China.<br />According to the most recent data, COVID cases <br />are also on the rise in England, with 5,975 new <br />cases reported in the week ending December 9. .<br />'The Independent' reports that JN.1 has been <br />deemed "of interest" by the UK Health Security <br />Agency (UKHSA) due to its mutation and , "increasing prevalence within <br />the UK and international data.".<br />According to the head of primary care and public health <br />at Imperial College London, Prof Azeem Majeed, JN.1 , “appears to be the fastest growing <br />variant in the UK at the moment.”
