KATHMANDU: The latest round of COVID-19 tests and subsequent gene sequencing on positive samples from November has revealed that Nepal has not yet confirmed any cases of the JN.1 strain of COVID-19, which is currently spreading globally.
The National Public Health Laboratory conducted gene sequencing on 12 samples collected from the Nepal-India border point and provincial health laboratories.
Despite the absence of the JN.1 strain in Nepal, neighboring India reported 412 new cases of Covid-19, increasing the total active cases to 4,170. The death toll in India due to the viral disease stands at 5,33,337, with three new fatalities reported from Karnataka in the last 24 hours, as per the Times of India.
The country has witnessed six additional cases of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1, bringing the total reported infections of the new variant to 69.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a “variant of interest,” noting that it doesn’t pose a significant threat to public health. The WHO emphasizes that there is no evidence suggesting an increased risk to public health relative to other circulating variants. Additionally, an updated vaccine shot is believed to provide continued protection against the JN.1 variant.