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Following a brief period of decline, Covid-19 infections have reemerged with the emergence of new variants. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expressed concerns about two novel variants, JN.1 and HV.1, which have the potential to bypass the immune system.
According to a recent update on respiratory viruses, the CDC revealed that JN.1 belongs to the same lineage as BA.2.86 and carries an additional spike mutation known as the L455S mutation, which possesses immune-evasive characteristics.
JN.1 was first identified in the US in September and has since been detected in 11 other countries, including the UK, Iceland, Portugal, and Spain. The CDC noted that nearly all circulating viruses in the US now belong to the XBB family, and JN.1 constitutes less than 0.1% of SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
The CDC also stated that initial data indicates that updated Covid vaccines are effective against BA.2.86, and a similar protective effect is anticipated against JN.1.
“There is some data suggesting that the parent variant BA.2.86 may be more transmissible than previous variants. Since JN.1 is a descendant of BA.2.86, there is concern that it may also be more transmissible. The updated vaccine is more closely aligned with JN.1 than our old vaccine, so the hope is that even if we see more cases with JN.1, the updated vaccine will still offer protection against severe disease,” explained Thomas Russo, a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, as quoted by Prevention.com.
Furthermore, CDC data indicates that HV.1 emerged in mid-summer, preceding the rapid increase in cases observed in September.
Currently, this variant accounts for nearly 20% of all Covid cases in the US, according to the agency.
HV.1 is a sub-variant of Omicron XBB, descending from EG.5. Experts suggest that both JN.1 and HV.1 are highly transmissible.
“As long as we have Covid-19, we’ll continue to see new variants. Nearly all of them represent relatively minor changes compared to previous variants. The CDC and other agencies are closely monitoring the impact of new variants on vaccines, tests, and treatments, and will promptly inform the public if anything of concern is identified,” affirmed the CDC.
