Another COVID variant is on the rise across US. What is it and how bad is it in California?

Hanh Truong
·3 min read
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Shoppers descend on an escalator at Arden Fair mall in Sacramento on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

Another coronavirus variant is circulating in the United States, following the busy holiday season, and it’s already in California.

JN.1 is one of the latest COVID-19 variants that experts are tracking. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Dec. 23, 2023, JN.1 made up an estimated 39 to 50% of circulating variants in the previous two weeks across the United States. That’s up from an estimated range of 15 to 29% two weeks before.

“The proportion of JN.1 continues to increase more rapidly than other variants,” the CDC said. “Based on laboratory data, existing vaccines, tests, and treatments work against JN.1.”

Despite being the fastest-growing variant in the country and the cause of an increasing number of infections, the CDC said the variant is not posing “additional risks” compared to other recent strains.

Is the new COVID variant spreading in California?

According to CDC data, the proportion of JN.1 in the California region — which also includes Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada — is about 40.8%, as of Dec. 23.

It’s followed by the variants HV.1 and HK.3 at 22.9% and 7.1%, respectively.

The California Department of Public Health stated in late December that JN.1 “is the variant with the highest proportion ... and the fastest growing variant.”

The seven-day COVID test positivity rate in California has been slowly increasing since November, going from 8.8% on Dec. 13 to 9.6% on Dec. 18, the CDPH reported. Hospitalizations are also up by 12% from the previous week with 2,839 new total admissions, as of Dec. 22.

What is JN.1?

The variant JN.1 is not exactly new.

According to the CDC, experts have been tracking the strain for months and it’s similar to the BA.2.86 variant, also known as Pirola , which has been circulating in the U.S. since August.

“JN.1 was first detected in the United States in September 2023. By the end of October, it made up less than 0.1% of SARS-CoV-2 viruses,” the agency said on its website.

Are there new symptoms?

Due to its fast growth, the CDC said it’s “either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems.”

But, currently, there is no data to support whether JN.1 poses an increased risk or severity of illness, the agency said. It’s also too early to tell if the variant causes any unique symptoms, and as seen with other variants, signs of infections are generally the same.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of COVID can include fever, cough, fatigue, difficulty breathing, chest pain, nausea and sore throat.

“The types of symptoms and how severe they are usually depend more on a person’s immunity and overall health rather than which variant causes the infection,” the CDC said.

Do vaccines work against new variants? How to protect yourself

The updated vaccines are expected to help people protect themselves from the latest variants including JN.1, the agency advised.

You should test yourself for COVID if you experience symptoms and help reduce the spread of the virus by circulating indoor air with opened windows and air purifiers, masking and social distancing.

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