The United States Faces Spread of New Coronavirus Variant

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that their estimates indicate that infections with the new subvariant of COVID-19 "JN.1" account for between 39 and 50 percent of total cases in the United States as of December 23. This is an increase from 15 percent to 29 percent in case numbers based on CDC projections up to December 8. The CDC stated that the proportion of cases caused by the new COVID-19 variant continues to rise, making it the most widespread variant in the country. They noted that this ongoing increase suggests that the variant may be more transmissible from person to person or more effective at evading the immune system compared to other circulating variants. They clarified that it is too early to determine whether "JN.1" will lead to an increase in infection or hospitalization rates, and to what extent this increase may occur, adding that current vaccines, tests, and treatments still work well against this variant. The World Health Organization classified "JN.1" as a "variant of interest," stating that current evidence shows that the risks it poses to public health are low.