Covid variant JN.1 becomes most common strain on Earth -symptoms to look out for

10 January 2024 , 20:10

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JN.1 variant is running riot around the world (Image: Getty Images)

The new JN.1 variant has become the most dominant strain of coronavirus on the planet, as more than 10,000 deaths from the virus were reported last month.

The strain is a mutation from Omicron which ran riot in Christmas 2021. Experts believe the current wave of the has been fuelled by the new variant along with festive socialising. It is feared JN.1 could hit an all-time high in the UK in as little as a week if numbers continue to soar.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization director-general, told a press conference in Geneva the JN.1 variant was now the most prominent in the world. He added he is "certain" cases are on the rise in other places which have not been reported. Calling on world governments to boost surveillance, he added: “Although 10,000 deaths a month is far less than the peak of the pandemic, this level of preventable deaths is not acceptable.”

Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead at WHO for COVID-19, added there has been an increase in respiratory diseases across the globe due to the coronavirus but also flu, rhinovirus and pneumonia. She said: “We expect those trends to continue into January through the winter months in the northern hemisphere.”

Last week, scientists said Covid cases may reach new record highs by mid-January after JN.1 became dominant over Christmas. The data was drawn from the latest ONS and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) winter infection survey. The research, published on December 21, estimated on December 13, 2.54million people had Covid. That was more than double the amount seen at the start of December. Another warning said more than 100,000 Brits could develop Long Covid in coming weeks.

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Yesterday Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, warned: “The rapid rise of infections with the JN.1 variant in the UK and across the world is yet another reminder that the pandemic is far from over. JN.1 is one of the most immune-evading variants to date and is likely to be the lineage from which new variants will evolve.

“We can expect to see more people suffering from infections with JN .1 over the coming weeks as a consequence of more indoor mixing due to the cold and the return of pupils to school. More infections means more days off work and more hospitalisations."

The eight symptoms of the JN.1 variant include:

• Sore throat

• Congestion

• Runny nose

• Cough

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Muscle aches

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• Fever or chills

Antony Clements-Thrower