China is protecting against new variants of COVID-19

BEIJING: China is taking proactive measures to combat new COVID-19 cases caused by the JN.1 variant of the virus spreading globally, China’s health authority said on Thursday.

Li Zhengmao, an official at the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, said, “China is regularly monitoring COVID-19 infections to determine the trend of infection spread and virus mutation,” Xinhua news agency reported. Is.”

Li said COVID-19 infections in China are currently at a low level. Li said the number of infections related to the JN.1 variant is relatively low.

Lee said the variant has an increased ability to evade immunity and spread, but it does not appear to be more pathogenic. He said existing vaccines targeting the XBB variant are still effective against the new variant.

Disease control and prevention authorities in China will continue to step up surveillance and early warning of COVID-19 infections, Li said. Meanwhile, they will step up vaccination among key groups, including senior citizens and patients with underlying health conditions, and accelerate medical preparedness against possible waves of infections, especially in rural areas.