Holidays under threat as new Covid-19 strain enters Malaysia

The World Health Organization classified JN.1 as a Covid-19 variant of interest following its ‘rapidly increasing spread’ around the globe.

KUALA LUMPUR: There may be more than holiday cheer being spread this festive season as the highly-contagious Covid-19 strain JN.1 was detected as having entered Malaysia yesterday.

Sixty-one samples collected in several parts of Sarawak on Thursday (Dec 21) showed traces of two dominant Omicron sub-variants: the JN.1 (49%) and HK.3 (26%).

“These samples were primarily identified in the Kuching and Samarahan areas, with a few cases in Sibu,” said Dr David Perera, director of the Institute of Health and Community Medicine at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

JN.1 has been classified by the World Health Organization as a Covid-19 variant of interest following its rapidly increasing spread around the globe.

According to virologist Dr Lam Sai Kit, the rapid spread of JN.1 in the last few months suggests its high transmissibility.

“It is probably better at evading our immune systems. JN.1 contains an additional mutation that affects the virus spike proteins which is essential for entry into host cells,” he told Bernama.

There has yet to be any evidence that JN.1 poses an increased risk to public health relative to other circulating variants, he said. However, it also does not mean that it presents less of a threat to those with poorer health.

“The primary symptoms of JN.1 infection are similar to those caused by other circulating variants of the Omicron lineage. In elderly patients, the immunocompromised and those with debilitating diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases, sub-variants such as JN.1 can result in hospitalisation and death.

“Even in young healthy individuals, it may result in long Covid,” said Lam.

JN.1 was first detected in the United States in September. By Dec 8, it made up about 15-29% of Covid-19 cases, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over 40 countries have already reported JN.1 including the UK, Denmark, Spain and Iceland. Last week, China detected seven infections of JN.1 while India has just detected JN.1 in its ongoing surveillance. Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Australia have also reported JN.1 cases.

Lam said the best defence remains getting vaccinated, wearing masks in crowded areas, and limiting exposure to people who have been infected.

“Existing vaccines will generate antibodies that work against JN.1 and other currently circulating sub-variants. These antibodies may not totally block transmission or infections but should reduce the likelihood of severe disease and death,” he said.

However, he said, vaccinations are still necessary.

“Unvaccinated and uninfected people are ideal hosts for SARS-CoV-2 and ideal in generating new variants due to the absence of negative selection by antibodies, which makes it easier for the virus to replicate and produce new mutations.”

Covid-19 would continue to mutate due to selection pressure, making it important for countries to continue monitoring antigenic changes and sharing the information with the rest of the world.

“JN.1 will not be the last sub-variant of the Omicron lineage,” he said.