JN.1 : New Covid variant spreading in Pakistan

The emergence of a new coronavirus variant, JN1, a subvariant of Omicron, has raised concerns as four cases were confirmed on Sunday in Pakistan.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health confirmed that all four patients had recovered without encountering any complications, reports the Express Tribune.

Amid global attention on the new strain, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN1 as a “variant of interest.” Presently, WHO assesses the risk to public health from this strain as low based on existing evidence.

Dr Nadeem Jan, the caretaker health minister, has said that authorities are closely monitoring the situation, adding that approximately 90 per cent of Pakistan’s population has received vaccination against Covid-19, a critical measure in combatting the spread of such variants.

As winter brings its challenges, Dr Jan reiterated the importance of preventive measures, urging the public to continue wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and following health guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

A few days ago, the federal government decided to secure 500,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in response to the potential resurgence of the new variant observed in multiple countries.

The procurement strategy for Pfizer vaccines from the US was devised based on recommendations from the Emergency Operation Centre’s (EOC) technical advisory group.

Previously, the Sindh Health Department confirmed the presence of a new variant of COVID-19 in two passengers arriving from overseas at Karachi Airport. However, it had clarified that no cases of the variant have been reported within the Sindh province.