Health experts have detected an increase in a new COVID-19 variant indicating a resurgence of respiratory infections across the country.
The JN1 virus emerged after undergoing mutation due to the high viral load and infected people from the previous COVID-19 variants.
Doctor Shem Otoi, an expert specialising in studying COVID-19 waves, told the press that the new variant is slightly more contagious than the previous strains.
"From February until now, the country has had a surge in the variant. There is also the H1N1 influenza. Imagine a combination of the influenza and the new variant," he noted.
The doctor urged Kenyans to take precautions over the new variant owing to the risk it poses to one's respiratory system.
Symptoms
The symptoms exhibited by an infected person include coughing, fatigue, loss of breath and chest congestion. There is, however, a slight difference from other variants in diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
Vaccine
Dr. Otoi noted that the infection doesn't have a vaccine. He, however, noted that doctors are working round the clock to develop a cure for all variants. He noted that a specific booster has been reported in other countries for protecting against the virus to a large extent.
"The XBB1.5 booster has been reported to have cross-protection among many variants," the doctor pointed out.
Precaution
He urged those exhibiting similar symptoms to get tested as soon as possible. He also noted that members of the public should protect themselves by avoiding contact with those showing the symptoms while at the same time practising hygiene.
"In other cases, wear a mask if possible,"
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there has been a high proportion of JN1 prevalence globally, with high infections highlighted in France, the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom and Sweden.
When the variant was detected by WHO in December 2023, the organisation noted that it had a low prevalence at the time. Still, it warned the public to be cautious as there is insufficient data on the new variant.
"Low, as currently there are no reports of elevated disease severity associated with this variant. Although there is regular coordination and data sharing between all WHO Regional colleagues, countries, and partners, reporting of new hospitalizations and ICU data with the WHO has decreased substantially, therefore caution should be taken when interpreting severe cases due to this decrease in reporting. Further, additional studies would be needed to assess the impact of this variant on clinical outcomes," read part of a statement from WHO.
