JN.1 has numerous changes never seen in previous variants

JN.1 has numerous changes that have never been seen in previous variants, according to experts on Tuesday. First detected in Luxembourg in August, JN.1 is currently present in about 41 countries, including India. Due to its rapid spread, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI), from the parent lineage BA.2.86. It was previously classified as VOI as part of BA.2.86 sublineages. Till date, India reportedly has 69 cases of JN.1 variant — from Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. JN.1 variant is a descendent lineage of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.86, with the earliest sample collected on August 25, 2023. In comparison with BA.2.86, JN.1 has the additional L455S mutation in the spike protein — which has immune-evasion properties. “JN.1 is an all new variant with numerous changes that had never been seen in any commonly circulating lineage before. This is unlike other recent variants, which were merely a few mutations from their predecessor,” Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association Covid Task Force, said.