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Short answer: worry, but don’t panic. JN.1 is an offshoot of BA.2.86, the ‘Pirola’ variant that made headlines because it appeared suddenly and had 35 new mutations. But BA.2.86 didn’t cause the surge that some people feared because it wasn’t actually very good at infecting people. It has since gained one more mutation on the spike protein and become JN.1, which is causing some concern because there’s evidence that it’s better at evading our immune systems. It’s rapidly becoming dominant globally, which isn’t inherently problematic. But what is concerning to epidemiologists like Katelyn Jeteilna of YLE is the wastewater data coming out of places where it’s already dominant, showing exponential growth even in places like Australia, where it’s summer. We’re concerned about the rising hospitalization rates in the UK and Singapore, which have high vaccination rates compared to the US. It may turn out to be another wave instead of a massive surge, but it’s hard to say and definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Source: YLE
Right now, we don’t really know if JN.1 creates different symptoms than other variants since it’s still relatively new. But we do know that most recent variants, including Omicron, tend to have similar symptoms associated. Some symptoms like loss of taste and smell and dry cough, were more common early in the pandemic than they are now, especially as the first symptoms to appear. Anecdotally, doctors say sore throat has been one of the most common symptoms that people first notice, followed by congestion or runny nose, fever, and other common cold and flu symptoms. For the relatively new JN.1 variant, we’re still waiting to see but suspect that, like most other Omicron subvariants, peoples’ symptoms will have more to do with their overall health and immunity level than the variant that caused their infection.
Holiday parties are fun - that’s why it’s tempting for someone with a new sore throat or slight cough to attend. But we’re seeing a big rise in cold and flu-like illnesses right now, and know that the next few weeks are traditionally hard to staff. If your staffing simply can’t handle an extra spike in sick calls 3-4 days after the party, you might be better off postponing it to the new year. If you do decide to go ahead with it, remind people to stay home if they're not feeling well and remember that ventilation is key. Get that air moving! As always, we recommend adding some extra shifts over the next few weeks to help ease the pressure on managers and let sick people stay home.
Source: CDC
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