JN.1, new Covid subvariant, is here now

The new subvariant of the coronavirus -- JN.1 -- has been detected for the first time in Bangladesh.

Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) officials yesterday confirmed the presence of the Omicron subvariant, saying that five people were found affected despite not having any travel history.

"Omicron type JN.1 has been identified after testing samples of five Covid patients from Dhaka and outside," Professor Tahmina Shireen, director of IEDCR, told The Daily Star.

"All five patients are Bangladeshis who have never travelled outside the country," she said.

The World Health Organization has already termed JN.1 as the "variant of interest" or "variant to watch for", as it is spreading fast.

As the infection rate has been rising globally, WHO, in a recent publication, said the overall risk posed by the variant was assessed to be "low", while the existing vaccines are also enough to offer protection against it.

The detection of the subvariant in Bangladesh was also published on Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) of Germany, a global database for the genome sequence of coronavirus.

Of the five patients, GISAID published data of four.

According to it, all four are male, with two from Dhaka and two from Gazipur. One of them is 12 years old, one is 18, and the rest are over 55.

With the new surge in cases globally, the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 on January 2 suggested the authorities concerned take necessary measures, including issuing instructions on mask-wearing, to prevent the spread of the virus.

"As the JN.1 variant has been found in the country, we are still definitely at risk. We haven't seen such a fast growth in the infection rate in such a short period of time before. We can prevent it by following instructions given by the DGHS [Directorate General of Health Services]," Mushtaq Hossain, public health expert and former advisor of IEDCR, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to administerCovid-19 vaccines again due to the sudden rise in infection rate.

Signed by Mohammad Nizam Uddin, DGHS's director and secretary general of the Covid-19 Vaccine Management Taskforce, a circular issued yesterday said that in view of the increase in infections across the country, it was decided that the first, second and booster doses of Pfizer will be distributed under a fresh vaccine programme.

Frontline health workers; people aged 60 years and above; adults (18 and above) with long-term diseases or low immunity; and pregnant women will be vaccinated under this initiative, it added.

The Pfizer RTU vaccine will be used for the first and second doses and will initially be provided at the DNCC Dedicated Covid-19 Hospital in Mohakhali for Dhaka North residents, and Dhaka Metropolitan General Hospital in Nayabazar for those in Dhaka South.

For booster doses, Pfizer VCV vaccination will be given initially at eight centres inDhaka: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University; Dhaka Medical College Hospital; Kurmitola General Hospital; Sir Salimullah Medical College Midford Hospital; Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital; Mugda Medical College Hospital; Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute & Hospital, and Government Employee Hospital in Fulbaria.

The DGHS said the vaccine process will be the same as last time.