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JN.1, an offshoot of the highly transmissible Omicron strain and one of its subvariants, the BA.2.86 strain known as Pirola, now accounts for 21.4 percent of US cases, according to brand-new data.
It's estimated that it makes up one-third of cases in the Northeast.
The World Health Organization declared JN.1 to be "a variant of interest" on Tuesday, Dec. 19, saying "its prevalence has been rapidly increasing globally."
JN.1 was first identified this past August.
"Based on its genetic features, JN.1 may possess some antigenic advantage evading previous immunity," the WHO said. "With the limited data at this stage, the available evidence on JN.1 does not suggest additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages.
"While there is a rapid increase in JN.1 infections, and likely increase in cases, available limited evidence does not suggest that the associated disease severity is higher as compared to other circulating variants. The risk evaluation will be updated as more evidence arises."
The HV.1 Omicron subvariant, also identified late in the summer, is the No. 1 strain in the US, accounting for 30 percent of cases in the country.
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