Staying safe: People masking up while walking around in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur on Christmas Eve. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: With the new and more transmissible Covid-19 subvariant called JN.1 being detected in Malaysia, health experts have warned the public to be cautious given that it is likely to be better at evading the immune system.
Research consultant at Universiti Malaya, Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Lam Sai Kit said JN.1 could cause death in elderly patients as well as those who are immunocompromised and with debilitating illnesses such as diabetes and heart diseases.
Among such patients, he said sub-variants such as JN.1 could result in hospitalisation and deaths.
“The rapid spread of JN.1 in the last few months suggests that it is more transmissible and 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 said when contacted yesterday.
He said that among young healthy individuals, it could result in long Covid.
JN.1 has been detected in the Kuching and Samarahan areas, with a few cases in Sibu, Sarawak.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Dec 19 classified JN.1 as a Covid-19 variant of interest following its “rapidly increasing spread” around the globe.
JN.1 was first detected in September in the United States. By Dec 8, it made up an estimated 15% to 29% of Covid-19 cases, according to the US’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Dr Lam said the symptoms included fever, chills, coughing, shortness of breath, breathing difficulties, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
The good news, he said, was that the currently available vaccines, especially the bivalent and the updated monovalent vaccines, could generate antibodies that work against JN.1 and other currently circulating sub-variants.
Although the antibodies generated by the vaccines may not entirely block the infections, it would at least reduce the likelihood of severe diseases and death, he said.
Therefore, he said continued efforts to achieve a fully vaccinated population was crucial as those who are unvaccinated are the ideal hosts for SARS-CoV-2 as well as 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.
“Unfortunately, SARS-CoV-2 will continue to mutate due to selection pressure, with new variants appearing from time to time.
“It is important for all countries to continue to monitor antigenic changes and share the information with the rest of the world.
“JN.1 will not be the last sub-variant of the Omicron lineage.
“So far, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other circulating variants,” he added.
This was echoed by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, who said the risk posed by JN.1 was evaluated as low.
Based on available data, she said it had not shown to increase virulence.
She said JN.1 was part of its parent lineage known as BA.2.86, adding that the new subvariant had an additional mutation in the spike protein.
To prevent infections and increase immunity, Dr Sharifa advised the public to not only get vaccinated but to also take boosters jabs.
“Additionally, people should stay at home if they are sick and get tested if they have symptoms, or if they may have been exposed to someone with Covid-19 or influenza.”
She said the public should take steps to prevent infections and severe diseases using all available tools, including wearing a mask when in crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated areas, and keeping a safe distance from others.
