JN.1 is an Omicron subvariant which was first detected in August. The CDC projects that it may now make up as many as two-thirds of U.S. cases.
In Oregon, the variant reached a 58% share in mid-December, according to the most recently sequenced samples from the OHA. And state officials expect that those figures will continue rising.
“It's pretty different from the variants that we've been seeing lately,” said Dr. Paul Cieslak, the OHA’s Medical Director for Communicable Diseases and Immunizations. “And so possibly it's evading some of the immunity that we had.”
The variant’s emergence in Oregon has coincided with rising cases and hospitalizations. Cieslak said there’s no firm evidence JN.1 has contributed, but it would make sense.
“The fact that this strain is spreading so much more rapidly means that we're more likely to get it and possibly get severe disease from it," said Cieslak.
Cielsak said JN.1 has around 30 genetic differences from the XBB lineage common in Oregon. In comparison, he said variants within that family often have just one or two differences.
He said since the current monovalent booster is based on XBB, that may weaken immunity. However, he said getting vaccinated is still the public’s best option to protect themselves.
"When it comes to preventing the more severe cases of disease," he said, "the immunity that we have based on our exposure to several previous variants and vaccination is still holding up fairly well.”
Cieslak said there’s no evidence that JN.1 leads to infections that are more severe or deadly. The World Health Organization has declared it a "variant of interest," but said it poses a low additional threat to public health.
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