A new COVID 'variant of interest' is spreading quickly in Canada: What to know about JN.1, including symptoms
It’s projected to account for 40 per cent of COVID infections in Canada by the end of the month.
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A new COVID-19 variant is spreading quickly in the United States and Canada as other respiratory viruses peak this holiday season. The highly contagious JN.1 is a subvariant of the Omicron family — the coronavirus variant responsible for the 2022 surge that overwhelmed health care systems across the globe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), JN.1 is currently the fastest growing variant, accounting for more than one fifth of all COVID infections in the U.S. By the end of the month, it’s also projected to account for more than 40 per cent of cases in Canada.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a “variant of interest” due to its rapid spread.
In a statement made on Tuesday, the WHO acknowledged the risk to the public is low from this specific strain, but it could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries.
“Globally, JN.1 is causing a rise in infections and seems to be exerting its dominance in multiple settings around the world,” Dr. Zain Chagla, infectious disease physician and head of infectious disease services at St. Joseph’s Health Care in Hamilton, Ont. recently told Yahoo Canada.
What is the JN.1 COVID variant, and how is it different from other strains?
In Canada, JN.1 is considered the “offspring” of a strain we have dealt with before: BA.2.86, also known as “Pirola,” which has been spreading since the summer. Both variants are descendents of Omicron and, according to the CDC, are nearly identical.
The only difference between JN.1 and BA.2.86? A single spike protein, which helps the virus better invade human cells.
According to Chagla, this small mutation may be enough to make the strain predisposed to better receptor binding and better antibody evasiveness. This can lead to the strain's ability to “cause an impact in terms of spread or the ability to infect populations.”
Is JN.1 more contagious than previous COVID strains?
While there is currently no evidence that JN.1 causes more severe symptoms than other strains, the fact that it accounts for a large percentage of COVID-19 infections — and cases are growing — does suggest it’s more contagious.
“Hypothetically, this may be because it’s better at getting past the bodies’ immune defenses,” Chagla explained. “For it to become dominant means it’s spreading faster than other variants that are currently out there in the background.”
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), as of Dec. 10, JN.1 now accounts for 27.4 per cent of COVID-19 variants.
HV.1 is currently the most prevalent strain in Canada, accounting for 36.4 per cent of cases, but JN.1 is expected to soon surpass it.
Based on forecasting models, JN.1 is projected to increase to 40.5 per cent by the end of the month, with a weekly growth rate 1.78 times higher than the HV.1 strain.
How will JN.1 impact hospitals in Canada?
JN.1’s rapid growth comes on the heels of the rise of hospitalizations due to RSV, influenza and COVID, prompting the CDC to issue a warning that hospitals in the U.S could become strained.
“I don’t think we’re going to see a massive destabilization in Canada, but I will say that things in health care are already tight at this time of year due to other respiratory viruses, and an expected amount of COVID-19 that’s going to increase this winter,” Chagla agreed.
“Even though it’s not likely to lead to surges like we saw in 2021 and 2022, it’s not going to be comfortable to have around and there are still going to be impacts on the health-care system regardless.”
He also noted health-care workers will also become infected, causing staff shortages that could further overwhelm a strained system.
What are the symptoms of JN.1? Are they more severe than other variants?
According to the CDC, there isn’t evidence JN.1 causes more severe symptoms than other strains of COVID-19 we’ve dealt with before.
“Most of the severity, the early markers, aren’t seeing any difference in terms of symptoms,” Chagla added.
“While there doesn’t seem to be a difference in symptom profile, an increase in numbers does mean you’re going to have a small number of those people with adverse outcomes. More cases does, unfortunately, mean more severe disease.”
Chagla also said to bear in mind the symptoms of JN.1 are very hard to distinguish among not just other strains of COVID, but even among the other respiratory viruses circulating right now.
JN.1 symptoms include:
Loss of sense of taste or smell
Congestion
Fatigue
Headache
Fever or chills
Cough
Runny nose
Sore throat
The CDC noted the severity of symptoms you experience depends on your overall immunity and whether you already have any underlying medical conditions.
“We tend to see older adults, people with medical conditions being the ones hospitalized,” Chagla said, adding people who live in crowded, enclosed spaces — like shelters or long-term care facilities — will also be more at risk of infection and disruption of these services.
Do rapid tests work on JN.1?
Chagla noted while molecular tests are functioning fine, if you’re using rapid tests, you’ll need to be more cautious.
“As more immunity comes into the population, people are getting re-infections and the rapid tests are now often negative on the day of symptom onset,” he explained. “In 2020 and 2021 when people weren’t particularly immune to the virus, the rapid tests would be positive on the day of symptoms, but they’re often not accurate anymore.”
If you’re using rapid tests, he said to make sure you test multiple times over a two or three-day period after your symptoms start to really rule out COVID.
How can you protect yourself from the JN.1 COVID-19 variant?
“The same tools still apply to help minimize the spread of JN.1,” said Chagla, referring to masking in crowded spaces and staying up to date with your vaccines.
The latest COVID-19 booster was designed for the XBB.1.5 variant, but Chagla noted the mentality that a booster that’s designed for one variant won’t work on another isn’t accurate.
“We set it to what’s predominate at the time, but the reality is these vaccines broaden the immune system response,” he said, noting new lab studies that show people with the latest vaccine make antibodies that offer “reasonable protection” against the new JN.1 variant.
“Because it is a surge, especially for those who are high risk, having access to testing, staying home when sick and accessing treatment are the best protocols to follow.”
And since there are so many other respiratory viruses circulating this holiday season, Chagla suggested staying home if you experience symptoms, regardless of whether or not you have a positive COVID-19 test.
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