Nepal confirms no presence of JN.1 COVID-19 strain

KATHMANDU: In the latest round of COVID-19 testing and subsequent gene sequencing on positive samples from November, Nepal has officially reported the absence of the JN.1 strain of COVID-19.

The National Public Health Laboratory conducted gene sequencing on 12 samples collected from the Nepal-India border point and provincial health laboratories to arrive at this conclusion.

While neighboring India reported 412 new cases of COVID-19, taking the total active cases to 4,170, Nepal has not yet confirmed any cases of the JN.1 strain within its borders.

India, however, has witnessed six additional cases of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1, bringing the total reported infections of the new variant to 69.

The death toll in India due to the viral disease stands at 5,33,337, with three new fatalities reported from Karnataka in the last 24 hours, as per the Times of India.

Despite global concerns about the JN.1 strain, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified it as a “variant of interest,” emphasizing that it does not pose a significant threat to public health.

According to the WHO, there is no evidence suggesting an increased risk to public health relative to other circulating variants.

Moreover, an updated vaccine shot is believed to provide continued protection against the JN.1 variant.