Nearly Half of U.S. COVID-19 Cases Now Caused by JN.1 Variant
By Physician’s Briefing Staff HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Dec. 28, 2023 -- The JN.1 variant, a descendant of the variant BA.2.86, now accounts for 44 percent of COVID-19 cases, up from roughly 7 percent in late November, the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show.
The speed at which the JN.1 variant has spread this month suggests it may spread more easily and be better at evading immune systems than other circulating variants, according to a recent CDC report. "It is too early to know whether or to what extent JN.1 will cause an increase in infections or hospitalizations," the CDC said in its report.
Luckily, JN.1 does not seem to be causing more severe illness yet. Additionally, the updated COVID-19 vaccines that were released in September produce antibodies that work against JN.1, which is distantly related to the XBB.1.5 variant the tweaked vaccines target.
Despite the fact that JN.1 may not cause more severe disease than other variants, hospitalizations have started creeping up recently. For the week of Dec. 10, there were just under 26,000 COVID-19-linked hospitalizations, a 10 percent increase from about 23,000 hospitalizations the week before. However, those numbers are still far lower than they were during the peak of the tripledemic last winter, when COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus cases all surged simultaneously.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2023
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
BMI Cutoff of 30 for Obesity May Be Too High for Middle-Aged, Older Adults
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- The optimal body mass index (BMI) cutoff point appears to be 27 kg/m2 for detecting obesity in middle-aged and older adults, according to a study presented...
Emergency Inguinal Hernia Surgery Rates Increased With Lower Country Income
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- For patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery, emergency surgery rates increase from high- to low-income countries, according to a study published online...
Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Levels Higher in Black Than White Women
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels are higher in Black than White pregnant women, supporting the use of accounting for these differences in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.