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https://www.smh.com.au/national/what-s-jn-1-meet-the-new-covid-19-variant-doubling-hospitalisations-20240109-p5ew0x.html>
"Ever duck-dived gracefully under a wave in the ocean, only to be slapped in
the face by a sneaky second crest as you emerge?
That’s the metaphor experts are leaning on to describe the “wave on wave” of
COVID-19 currently coursing through Australia. It refers to the wave of
infection that was already building in the lead-up to Christmas and a second
surge summoned by JN.1, the variant experts expect to dominate infections in
2024.
The new variant has contributed to a sharp increase in hospitalisations.
Victoria clocked 377 COVID hospitalisations in the week to January 5, the
highest number in six months, and NSW’s figures doubled from 200 in
mid-December to 400 by the end of the month.
About 1400 people arriving at NSW hospitals for various reasons tested positive
for COVID in the last week of 2023 – the highest number recorded all year.
“When we look at the proportion of people who get tested for COVID using a PCR
test, about 17.5 per cent of those test positive,” says Dr Jeremy McAnulty,
executive director of health protection at NSW Health.
“We haven’t seen that high a level for about a year or so – this reflects a
high level of COVID activity in the community.”
JN.1 was the most prevalent strain detected in Victorian wastewater in
December. And McAnulty says 36 per cent of infections in NSW are JN.1, which is
now close to dethroning the dominant variant EG.5, aka Eris, which accounts for
40 per cent of infections.
So what do we know about the severity of JN.1, and could it soon relinquish its
alphanumerical moniker and earn a name from the Greek alphabet, like Omicron
and Delta?"
Via
Violet Blue’s Pandemic Roundup: January 11, 2023:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/pandemic-roundup-96291169
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
