In terms of the pandemic trend of respiratory infectious diseases this winter, the current influenza still occupies the main position of respiratory infectious diseases, but the new crown virus that once caused our "national" infection and has super transmissibility can not be ignored, from the monitoring data of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the new epidemic variant of the new coronavirus has triggered a new wave of infection in the United States, resulting in 20,000 new hospitalizations in a week, and many countries in Europe have also seen a pandemic of new variants of the new crown.
Which is this new variant of the coronavirus?It is the JN. that has triggered a new wave of new crown infections in Europe and the United States since November1. According to recent news from the National Health Commission, this new variant jn1 At present, 7 cases of infection have been monitored in China, although the epidemic level is still very low, but due to the international epidemic of this strain and imported cases, JN is not ruled out1. The possibility of the variant becoming the dominant strain in China.
In the current environment of susceptibility to respiratory diseases in winter, and the possibility of multiple infections superimposing, this new variant of the new crown is not very important1. What do we need to know?In today's popular science, I will talk to you about this topic.
jn.1 Where do variants come from?
Mention of the new crown jnThe 1 variant may not be particularly well known to many friends, but in fact, this new variant is derived from the new coronavirus variant BA2.86 subvariants, and Covid BA2.86 was first discovered in Denmark in July 2023, and when it was analyzed and tested, it was found that there were more than 30 mutations on the spike protein of this new variant, and its potential super immune escape was once the focus of heated discussion in the medical community, and many experts believed that this variant has super immune escape and may become the dominant strain in the future.
But in the following 3 months, ba2.86 has not "gained momentum", and it is the related sub-variants of the XBB variant that dominate the domestic and international epidemic dominance, but since November, BA has begun to appear in European and American countries2.A subvariant of 86 jn1. The popularity of this new variant compared to BA2.86, and a new mutation, which has now become one of the main epidemic new crown variants in Europe and the United States, along with jn1 In the wake of the global epidemic trend, WHO has also upgraded BA2.86 surveillance level, which became a "variant of concern" (VOI).
jn.1 Are variants more contagious?
ba.2.86 variant, jnThe reason why the 1 variant is attracting attention is that its mutation has surpassed all other Omicron variants of the new crown, so in theory, compared to other variants of the new crown, jnVariant 1 has stronger immune evasion, and it is easy for the new crown antibodies in the body from previous infections and vaccinations to "evade" the antibodies, thus causing new infections.
Judging by the current monitoring data, jnThe speed of propagation of the 1 is not significantly different from the XBB series variant, and the current jnThe rapid growth of 1 is mainly due to the transmissibility advantage brought by its immune escape characteristics, which has gradually become a new dominant variant to replace the XBB variant, that is, its infectivity is basically the same as that of the Omicron XBB variant, but the previously infected people have been infected with JNThe odds of 1 could be greater.
In summary, jn1 It is unlikely that a new variant will cause a new global pandemic, but it is still entirely possible that in the current harsh winter, it will cause a small spike in COVID infections in some regions and at certain times.
Will the symptoms be more severe after infection with the new variant?
Many friends are more concerned about the risk of severe disease brought about by the new variant of the new coronavirus than the risk of infection. The good news is that there is no indication that this new variant, with its hyper-mutations, is able to increase the incidence of severe disease after infection. Whether there is a risk of severe disease after infection is closely related to the individual's own immunity. For example, the elderly who have underlying diseases and people with poor body immunity can be infected if they are infected1 variant, the risk of developing severe disease is much greater than that of people in the prime of life with good immunity.
So, for jn1 With this new variant, we do not have to worry too much about its risk of severe disease, but should protect the elderly and weak people with relatively low immunity and minimize the chance of infection in this part of the population at high risk of severe disease.
Respond to jn1 New variants, vaccines and drugs are still useful?
Although jn1 has produced a new mutation with strong immune evasion, but in general, it still belongs to the Omicron variant, which belongs to Omicron BA2 family of new variants, therefore, in terms of antibodies in the body, whether it is immune antibodies from previous infection with the Omicron variant, or antibodies from XBB vaccination, for JN1 is also still effective, and although it may be weaker in blocking variant breakthrough infection, these antibodies can still play an important role in reducing the risk of severe disease.
In terms of antiviral drugs, the current anti-COVID oral drugs, whether they are 3CL protease inhibitors or RNA polymerase inhibitors, are also drugs that can effectively inhibit the replication of the virus in vivo in terms of mechanism of action, and are still effective for new variants of the new crown.
How to prevent jn1 new variant
For this jn1 The new variant, although it has stronger immune escape, its transmission characteristics have not changed, therefore, we originally advocated frequent hand washing, social distancing, wearing masks in crowded areas and other respiratory infectious disease prevention and hygiene Xi habits, are still an important means to effectively reduce virus infection, at the same time, we must also pay attention to maintaining other healthy lifestyles, scientific diet, strengthen exercise, improve the body's immunity.