COVID: 157 JN.1 cases in India

India has reported 157 cases of the COVID JN.1 variant, with 141 cases in December and 16 cases in November. The government is urging increased testing and surveillance in hospitals. The variant has been detected in Kerala, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Delhi. In the US, the JN.1 variant is now the most widely circulating variant, accounting for 39-50% of all SARS-CoV-2 variants. The variant has an additional mutation in the spike protein, making it potentially more transmissible or better at evading the immune system. It is too early to know the impact on infections or hospitalizations.