HEALTH
New COVID JN.1 variant: what are the symptoms and what happens if I catch it at Christmas?
A new COVID-19 variant is circulating as the holidays approach. What are the symptoms?
For many, COVID-19vid-19 may impact their holiday plans as a new variant circulates.
JN.1 variant has now been listed as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization. When making the announcement on 19 December, forty-one countries had confirmed cases of the new variant, which was identified in August. Currently, the variant makes up around 27.1 percent of cases globally, with France (20.1 percent), the United States (14.2 percent), Singapore (12.4 percent), and Canada (6.8 percent), seeing the variant make up the most significant proportion.
Is the new variant more dangerous?
The WHO believes that JN.1 may have some advantages in evading previous immunity but that the variant “does not suggest additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages.” There is no evidence that infection from JN.1 is more dangerous than the other dominant variants in circulation, but data on this question will continue to be collected.
The new virus variant is particularly hazardous because it can spread more rapidly than the previous strain. This is because it is capable of reinfecting people who have already had COVID-19. If a larger number of people are infected, it is likely that some of them will require hospitalization. This poses a significant risk if the healthcare system becomes overwhelmed by a surge in COVID-19 cases.
What are the symptoms?
No additional information was provided on the symptoms of JN.1. Be on the lookout for the traditional COVID symptoms, including fever, dry cough, and sore throat.
If you begin to feel any of these symptoms, it is critical to take a test and isolate to avoid spreading the virus further.
Get four free COVID-19 tests
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), every household in the United States is eligible to request four free home tests. The application for this round of submission began on 20 November.
If you haven’t requested them since the program reopened on 25 September, you can place two orders for a total of eight tests. To request tests, you must visit the covid-19.gov portal.
To order tests, you must fill out a form with your contact information and address. You can include an email address to receive shipping updates.