BCCDC weighs in on new COVID variant, what it means for you

A new strain of COVID-19 has been labelled a variant of interest by the World Health Organization (WHO), but an expert says there’s no need to worry about JN.1 right now.

Dr. Linda Hoang, a medical director of the public health lab at the BC Centre for Disease Control, explains the variant is gaining traction in the north east of the U.S. faster than other regions. According to sampling in that region, JN.1 has been found to be present in nearly 60 per cent of COVID-19 infections now, compared to 20 per cent just days ago.

However, in B.C., she says scientists are finding the subvariant is not leading to an increase in hospitalizations or serious illness.

“Yes, we are seeing JN.1, but it’s a very low proportion amongst our patients who are seeing hospital or in critical care, which is an important point,” she told CityNews.

“It’s circulating in the community but we’re not seeing a lot of people becoming very unwell with this.”

Hoang explains this variant is just the latest fluctuation or wave, much like with the annual flu.

“We’ve been seeing that sort of wave after wave after wave of new variants, but we’re not seeing an increase in people becoming unwell requiring emergency visits and hospitalizations, and that’s really what it’s important for us to monitor,” she added.

The vaccines are also a good match for this strain, Hoang notes.

Meanwhile, the flu and RSV continue to be a greater concern in B.C. when it comes to serious respiratory illness this season.

But Hoang is clear that all three viruses still have the potential to make vulnerable people very ill, so she’s reminding people to stay home if they’re feeling unwell.