COVID-19 variant JN.1 detected in Saudi Arabia

Gulf News
Dec 21, 2023

COVID-19 variant JN.1 detected in Saudi Arabia


Cairo: Saudi health authorities said they have detected the JN.1 variant of COVID-19, but said it is no cause for worry. The kingdom’s Public Health Authority said it has monitored the local spread of the variant, JN.1, accounting for 36 per cent of the cases in the country. “This has not been accompanied by any increase in admissions into intensive care units,” the government agency, known as Weqya, said on its X account Wednesday. “Weqya confirms there is nothing to worry about,” it added. The World Health Organization (WHO) this week classified the JN.1 strain as a "variant of interest" and said current evidence shows risk to public health was low from the strain.