{"id":122309,"date":"2023-12-19T15:39:41","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T15:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leviolonrouge.com\/?p=122309"},"modified":"2023-12-19T15:39:41","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T15:39:41","slug":"experts-sound-alarm-over-concerning-covid-mutation-set-to-dominate-globe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leviolonrouge.com\/world-news\/experts-sound-alarm-over-concerning-covid-mutation-set-to-dominate-globe\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts sound alarm over concerning Covid mutation set to ‘dominate globe’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lorraine: Dr Hilary warns of potential rise in Covid cases<\/h3>\n

A new Covid variant that is spreading fast through the US may become dominant across the world in the coming weeks, experts have warned.<\/p>\n

JN.1 has become the quickest-spreading strain in the US and is now responsible for around 20 percent of coronavirus infections in the country, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).<\/p>\n

It is tipped to account for at least half of new cases before the end of December, and soon, this pattern could be mirrored elsewhere just in time for the festive period.<\/p>\n

Dr Ryan Gregory, from the University of Guelph, has been tracking the evolution of Covid variants.<\/p>\n

He told CNN: \u201cIt\u2019s already pretty clear that it is highly competitive with existing XBB variants and looks like it\u2019s on track to become the next sort of globally dominant group of variants.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Cases across Europe are already rising, including in France, Spain, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also surging rapidly in Asia, Canada and Australia.<\/p>\n

Professor Locker, a virologist at the Pirbright Institute, told Sky News: \u201cWe’re going to see a fairly large rise in cases this winter.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot because JN.1 is more problematic, infectious or severe, but because we’re losing our defences \u2013 protections afforded by our last set of boosters and our immunity is waning.”<\/p>\n

But the World Health Organization (WHO) has yet to label JN.1 a variant of concern.<\/p>\n

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If it did, it would mean that the variant has the potential to be severe and reduce vaccine effectiveness.<\/p>\n

Scientists first raised the alarm over JN.1 this summer as it is closely linked to BA.2.86, also known as Pirola.<\/p>\n

They feared that this form of the virus had so many mutations to its spike protein, 30, that it may have been able to evade vaccines and antibodies. But this did not appear to happen.<\/p>\n

Experts have also said that health authorities should be able to get a handle on the newly emerging subvariant with the right precautionary measures.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n