The JN.1 coronavirus strain has been spreading globally, with the World Health Organisation on Tuesday classifying it as a “variant of interest”.
It is more contagious than other variants currently circulating, with cases reported in India, China, the US and Singapore.
Here’s everything we know so far:
What is the JN.1 Covid variant?
The JN.1 variant is a descendant of the BA. 2.86 variant that carries more than 30 mutations in the spike protein.
“Covid is with us permanently and we have to be vigilant about new strains like JN.1, a sub-lineage of BA. 2.86 Omicron, that appears correlated with increase in hospitalisation for respiratory illness,” said Ramanan Laxminarayan, president of health research organisation One Health Trust.
“We don’t yet know if the JN.1 strain is behind these hospitalisations. But given that Covid vaccination in India is no longer a continuing effort and JN.1 is able to avoid immune response to be able to spread rapidly, there is a possibility that lack of population immunity puts us – especially the elderly population – at risk for illness and hospitalisation,’’ he told The National.
How was it detected?
The first case of JN.1 was recorded in the US in September.
What is the threat level?
JN.1 has not shown any signs of greater severity than other Covid strains.
While there might be more cases, JN.1 doesn't pose a greater risk, Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Reuters.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said current vaccines will continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other Covid variants.
What does variant of interest mean?
The WHO’s definition states that a variant of interest has “genetic changes that are predicted or known to affect virus characteristics such as transmissibility, virulence, antibody evasion, susceptibility to therapeutics and detectability”.
So JN.1 is more contagious than other Covid strains at this time.
It is also “identified to have a growth advantage over other circulating variants in more than one WHO region with increasing relative prevalence alongside increasing number of cases over time, or other apparent epidemiological impacts to suggest an emerging risk to global public health”.
What happens next?
The WHO will review JN.1 for the rate it spreads, how easy it is to treat and draw comparisons with other similar variants.
Co-ordinated laboratory investigations with member states will be carried out, if deemed necessary.
Nations with reported cases will also submit complete genome sequences and associated metadata to a publicly available database.
Alongside this, field investigations will be carried out to improve public understanding of the new strain.
Global fight against Covid-19 - in pictures
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The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
