Mumbai: 15 new cases of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 found

Mumbai: 15 new cases of the new subvariant JN.1 coronavirus have been detected in Mumbai this week, city civic officials said on Wednesday.

Daksha Shah, executive director of health, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said 19 of the HISTO samples tested positive for subvariant JN.1 during whole genome sequencing (WGS) and four of them were from outside the metropolis.

According to a BMC statement, 15 patients with the subvariant found in Mumbai had mild symptoms and four of them had co-morbidities (other health conditions) and were admitted to hospitals.

All these patients, nine men and six women, have recovered, the report said. The World Health Organization has classified JN.1 as a “variant of interest” (VOI) given its rapid spread, but said it represents a “low” risk to global public health.

According to the BMC, 11,966 blood samples were analyzed between December 1, 2023, and January 15, 2024, of which 537 tested positive for COVID-19.