Is the new COVID-19 variant JN.1 ‘more transmissible’? What to know about COVID in Idaho

Shaun Goodwin
·3 min read
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A new variant of COVID-19 named JN.1 is projected to account for up to 50% of all circulating COVID variants in the United States as of December 2023, according to tracking from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

JN.1 was first detected in the U.S. in December and is currently the fastest-growing variant in the country; projections in mid-December predicted JN.1 only comprised 15-29% of COVID-19 infections in the nation.

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

The rapid infection rate of JN.1 has resulted in it also being the most widely circulating variant in the U.S. However, The CDC notes that JN.1 does not seem to pose additional risks to the public beyond that of other variants.

There’s also no indication that JN.1 results in increased severity of symptoms, but the rapid growth of the variant does present the possibility of an incremental increase in infections nationwide.

What to know about JN.1

JN.1 is an offshoot of the variant BA.2.86, which the CDC has been tracking since August. However, the JN.1 variant is different because it has an additional mutation in the spike protein, which helps the virus evade detection by antibodies and also impacts the effectiveness of vaccines.

The variant’s ability to evade detection is why CDC researchers believe JN.1 continues to grow and transmit so quickly. But it’s too early to gather data on whether JN.1 is causing an increase in infections or hospitalizations.

“At this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants, and CDC is closely monitoring COVID-19 activity and JN.1 spread,” the CDC stated in a December news release.

The CDC notes in the release that it continues to track other potential emerging variants.

Symptoms of JN.1

According to the CDC, it’s unknown whether JN.1 produces different symptoms from other variants, but generally, COVID-19 symptoms tend to be similar across variants.

“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 notes.

Possible symptoms include:

  • Fever or chills

  • Coughing

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle or body aches

  • Headache

  • Loss of taste or smell

  • Sore throat

  • Congestion or runny nose

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Diarrhea

Protection against JN.1 in Idaho

Despite a new variant, it doesn’t mean we must change how we protect ourselves against COVID-19. The new variant also doesn’t alter the CDC’s COVID-19 recommendations, meaning existing vaccines, tests and treatments all work well against JN.1.

“The updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines produce antibodies that protect against JN.1,” the CDC says.

The CDC suggests getting an updated COVID-19 in the coming weeks if you didn’t get one this past fall, because infections tend to increase during this time of the year. COVID-19 has had a pattern of peaking in late summer and then again shortly after the new year.

You can search for locations offering vaccine boosters near you by inputting your ZIP code on vaccines.gov. Ada County has approximately 50 locations that offer at least one vaccine option of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax.