COVID Variant JN.1 Listed as ‘Variant of Interest’

The World Health Organization made the designation this week.

This electron microscope image made available by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the spherical particles of the new coronavirus, colourized blue, from the first U.S. case of COVID-19. The Canadian Press/AP-Hannah A. Bullock, Azaibi Tamin/CDC via AP

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday listed the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 as a “variant of interest” but the U.N. agency and some health officials say that there is currently no evidence suggesting it’s more severe or a significant health risk.

Due to “limited evidence” that is currently available, the U.N. agency said that the variant “may cause an increase in SARS-CoV-2 cases amid surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season,” referring to the virus that causes COVID-19.