Dr. VK Paul from the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog Health shared that they found 21 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant of COVID-19 all across the country.
Here is all the important information about the new JN.1 type of COVID-19.
In Goa, they found 19 cases of a new type of COVID-19 called JN.1, and they found one case each in Kerala and Maharashtra. In the last two weeks, 16 people have died because of COVID-19.
The JN.1 virus was first found in Denmark and Israel at the end of July 2023.
The World Health Organization (WHO) called the JN.1 COVID-19 sub-variant a "variant of interest." It's part of the bigger group called BA.2.86.
The BA.2.86 lineage, found in August 2023, has over 30 changes in its spike protein, suggesting it might be good at bypassing the immune system.
The new type of COVID-19 doesn't cause much danger to the health of people worldwide, says the WHO.
The Health Minister asked states to keep an eye on new cases, signs of sickness, and how serious the cases are to figure out the best way to help people stay healthy.
The Indian Council of Medical Research is studying the genetic makeup of the new JN.1 variant.
On December 21, 2023, there were 1,296 people currently sick with COVID-19 in the country.