Saudi Arabia confirms rapid spread of JN.1 Covid variant

JN1 Covid variant

Saudi Arabia announced detection of JN.1, a sub-variant of Covid-19 that is seeing a surge across countries during winter. 

In a post on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health wrote it "monitored the rapid spread of the JN.1 variant locally" wherein 36% of cases were of this variant. It further added that this was not accompanied by any increase in intensive care admissions. 

In another post, the authority reassured that there is no truth to the risks and warnings being circulated about a new epidemic, "as the JN.1 variant is considered one of the branching variants of Covid-19". 

It further confirmed that the effectiveness of immunization with the developed Covid-19 vaccine is still valid and there is no reason for concern and there is no need to apply strict measures. 

The health authority also recommended that people should follow reliable official sources for any information.

JN.1 is the fastest-growing variant to emerge in the past two years. The World Health Organization designated it a variant of interest on Tuesday due to its rapid growth and potential to add to the respiratory virus burden in the Northern Hemisphere. The latest booster formulation should provide good protection against it, according to the organization.