2024-01-01 15:48:44
Health Ministry confirms JN1 strain of coronavirus, believed to be a descendant of Omicron, arrived in Israel
The new variant of the JN1 coronavirus has already infected at least 200 Israelis, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health. Detected for the first time in September 2023 in the United States, it is a sublineage of BA.2.86 (nicknamed the Pirola variant), itself a subvariant of Omicron. In France, the JN.1 variant now represents 52% of Covid infections, according to data published at the end of December.
In Israel, recent data from a sample of more than 27,000 people early last December found that loss of smell or taste is no longer the most common symptom and has only been reported by around 3% of respondents.
Cough remains a common phenomenon and is found in approximately 23%. Runny nose was the most common report and was found in 31% of patients. About a fifth of those surveyed reported headaches, weakness or fatigue. Muscle pain was found in approximately 16% of them and sore throat in 13%. Along with this, approximately 10% of patients reported problems with sleep and anxiety.
According to preliminary studies that have not yet been published in official medical journals, it appears that the new strain is more resistant to the immune system, and that existing vaccines do not offer significant protection as they protected previous strains.
Sha’are Zedek, JerusalemOlivier Fitoussi/Flash90
“Over the past month and a half, Israel has observed a slight and moderate increase in corona morbidity, as seen around the world. The Ministry of Health continues to monitor the different variants through genetic sequencing and follows also the information in the world on the subject by staying in contact with other ministries of health”, affirmed the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health recommends to the public, and in particular to populations at risk, to be vaccinated once morest the coronavirus from health insurance funds with a vaccine adapted to current variants, and on this occasion – to also be vaccinated once morest the flu.
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