A professor has warned of a newly detected strain of Covid which is feared to be “more transmissible” as it continues to spread through several countries.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the new JN.1 strain of the virus has already been found in the UK, as well as the US, Iceland, Portugal and Spain. Experts say it is also spreading rapidly through France.
Officials say they are still discovering more about JN.1 but fear the latest variant could become a serious health issue. According to Amesh Adalja, from the Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security, JN.1 is a descendant of BA.2.86 – better known as the Pirola variant, which came from Omicron.
Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, told Prevention.com: “There is some data that suggest JN.1’s parent BA.2.86 may be more transmissible than previous variants.
Since JN.1 is a derivative of BA.2.86, there is a concern that it may be more transmissible. The updated vaccine is closer to JN.1 than our old vaccine, the hope is that, even if we see more cases with JN.1, the updated vaccine will protect against severe disease.”
Earlier this month it was reported millions of people who still haven’t had a flu or Covid vaccine are at risk of becoming seriously ill, health bosses have warned.
The latest one to dominate the UK and other countries is the BA.2.86 strain, nicknamed ‘Pirola’ by scientists. With NHS vaccines director Steve Russell calling it the “most concerning variant since Omicron”, it prompted health officials to bring the autumn jabs rollout forward as a “precautionary measure”.
Despite fears the new variant would cause another health crisis, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) officials said in September that Pirola didn’t seem to be more severe than Omicron or more resistant to immunity from jabs. And so far, it doesn’t seem to have driven up hospitalizations.
The UKHSA’s most recent report indicated that case numbers decreased by 8.7 percent in the week leading up to November 2, while hospitalizations also fell.
But people are still getting ill from Covid-19 and health experts have warned that people should keep their eyes peeled for a specific set of symptoms caused by Pirola.
The variants can cause two specific changes to people’s faces that weren’t seen when previous strains reigned rampant, according to Dr Johannes Uys, a GP from Broadgate General Practice. He told the Express that “unlike most previous variants, Covid Pirola can cause visible facial symptoms”. These are Eye irritation and skin rash.
Meanwhile, Patient.info said some less common symptoms caused by Pirola include skin rashes, changes in the mouth or tongue – such as ulcers or soreness – sore fingers or toes, diarrhea and itchy eyes.
