Ministry of Health informs about the rapidly increasing JN.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus

On the afternoon of December 22, the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) informed that the national infectious disease surveillance system recorded information about the JN.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus increasing rapidly globally in recent times.

The JN.1 variant belongs to the variant of concern (VOI) group, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, and is the BA.2.86 subclade variant of Omicron.

There is currently no evidence of an increase in severity compared to previous variants and the public health risk is still assessed as low at the global level. However, the number of SARS-CoV-2 cases in particular and other respiratory diseases in general is forecast to increase in the coming time, especially in countries entering winter, which may increase the number of cases requiring hospitalization at medical facilities.

Over the past time, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has continuously mutated to create new variants, the most recent being the JN.1 variant. Based on changes in the characteristics of the virus, the level of spread, the severity of the disease, or the effectiveness of vaccines, treatments, diagnostics, social measures, etc., WHO classifies SARS-CoV-2 variants into 4 groups:

Variation of concern.

Worrying variant.

Variants are tracked.

Variation has serious consequences.

In Vietnam, the COVID-19 situation is still under control; the number of recorded cases is low, scattered in some localities and most of them have mild symptoms or no symptoms. The number of hospitalizations and the number of severe patients in treatment facilities is low. According to statistics, in week 50, 59 cases of COVID-19 were recorded, in week 49, 52 cases were recorded. The results of monitoring the pathogen have not recorded any new or unusual variants.

In Vietnam, the Northern region is in the winter-spring season, the erratic weather changes are the cause of the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, especially respiratory diseases, with the potential risk of infectious disease outbreaks.

Nationwide, this is also the time when the demand for trade and tourism at the end of the year increases, creating favorable conditions for pathogens to spread, which can increase the number of infectious diseases and respiratory diseases, especially in high-risk groups such as children with weak resistance, the elderly, and people with underlying medical conditions.

On December 22, the Ministry of Health issued Official Dispatch No. 8147/BYT-DP requesting provinces and centrally run cities to strengthen disease prevention and control in the winter-spring season of 2023-2024. The Ministry of Health, in coordination with international organizations and relevant units, continues to closely monitor and supervise variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as other respiratory pathogens to promptly take effective and appropriate disease prevention and control measures.

To prevent and combat epidemics, infectious diseases, and respiratory diseases, including COVID-19, the Department of Preventive Medicine - Ministry of Health recommends that all people should not be subjective, negligent, and proactively implement personal disease prevention measures as follows:

- Wear masks in medical facilities, on public transport and in crowded places.

- Wash your hands regularly with clean water, soap or hand sanitizer; gargle with mouthwash; avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth; cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

- Practice good environmental hygiene, personal hygiene, keep your body warm, exercise, play sports, and improve your physical condition.

- Cook food thoroughly and drink boiled water; ensure food safety in slaughtering livestock and poultry and processing livestock and poultry products.