{"id":1043,"date":"2024-01-16T17:00:35","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T17:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thailand.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=1043"},"modified":"2024-01-16T17:00:38","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T17:00:38","slug":"knowing-new-covid-19-variant-jn-1-severity-symptoms-and-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thailand.factcrescendo.com\/english\/knowing-new-covid-19-variant-jn-1-severity-symptoms-and-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Knowing New COVID-19 variant JN.1: Severity, Symptoms, and Protection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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During the recent New Year period, the rate of COVID-19 cases increased. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have announced the discovery of a new variant of COVID, termed JN.1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Know about the New Variant<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to UN<\/a>, JN.1’s most alarming characteristic is its rapid global spread. First identified in Luxembourg, it has swiftly become the dominant variant in numerous countries, including the UK, the US, and India. Due to its concerning surge, the World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled JN.1 as a “variant of interest”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that t<\/strong>he new COVID-19 variant, JN.1, has evolved from BA.2.86 and is currently one of the fastest-spreading variants in the United States. As of December 8, 2023, approximately 15\u201329% of patients were found to have this variant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the rapid increase in infection numbers, there’s no evidence to suggest that the JN.1 variant poses a greater risk than other variants currently spreading. The existing Covid-19 vaccines are predicted to be effective against JN.1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the rapid spread of JN.1 is concerning, but data about its severity and impact on vaccine efficacy is still limited. Initial reports suggest that its symptoms are similar to those associated with other Omicron variants. These symptoms can vary based on an individual’s health and immune system. Common symptoms include a sore throat, runny nose, cough, fatigue, and headache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though the symptoms of COVID-19 infection generally appear to be less severe than last year, CDC data shows a 20% increase in hospital admissions due to COVID-19 infection and a 12.5% rise in the death toll in the past week. There are still an average of about 1,500 deaths from COVID-19 per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent Number COVID-19 Cases in Thailand<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 11, 2024, Dr. Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, Director of the Department of Disease Control, predicted an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients, especially after the New Year festival. In the first week of 2024, 664 patients were admitted to the hospital, averaging 95 cases per day. This is an increase from the previous week’s daily average of 70 cases, marking a 12 percent rise. There were 144 severe patients and 4 deaths, and it’s anticipated that these numbers will continue rising for some time, based on projections of an outbreak from late November 2023 to early February 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: Disease Control Department<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the Disease Control Department recommends the following self-care guidelines for the public:<\/p>\n\n\n\n