Kerala Health Minister Veena George reassured the public on Sunday, stating that the JN. 1 Covid-19 sub-variant detected in the state posed no cause for concern. The discovery of this variant was part of the routine surveillance activities conducted by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), as disclosed by a senior official from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to news agency PTI.
Addressing the media, Minister George emphasized that there was no need for alarm as the JN. 1 sub-variant had been previously detected in Indians undergoing tests at the Singapore airport two or three months ago and was present in other regions of India. Kerala's robust health system, she noted, played a crucial role in detecting the sub-variant through genomic sequencing, underscoring the state's proactive and effective approach.
Minister George, while providing reassurance, urged individuals with comorbidities to exercise caution, and she emphasized that the government remained vigilant, closely monitoring the situation. Despite the detection of the JN. 1 sub-variant, she conveyed confidence in the state's ability to manage the situation effectively.
The first case of the Covid-19 sub-variant JN. 1 was identified in an RT-PCR positive sample from Karakulam in Thiruvananthapuram district on December 8, according to Dr. Rajiv Bahl, ICMR's director general. The patient, a 79-year-old woman who had tested positive on November 18 with mild symptoms of Influenza Like Illness (ILI), has since recovered from Covid-19.
INSACOG, a network of genomic laboratories actively monitoring COVID-19 from a genomic perspective, detected this sub-variant. The ICMR, as part of the consortium, contributes to the comprehensive genomic surveillance efforts aimed at understanding the evolving landscape of the virus in India.
