Winter has arrived in the northern hemisphere loaded with respiratory viruses. The influenza Athe virus that causes COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) They have become another guest at many Christmas dinners, hence a call is being made to raise awareness among people with symptoms to stay home. In the case of COVID-19, its rapid expansion is due to the appearance of a new variantcall JN.1. It doesn’t seem more serious, but it is quite serious. more contagious.
This is because it has a unique mutation in its S protein. This is what is used as a key to enter the cells. Vaccines and past infections generate antibodies that target this protein. However, this mutation gives him the ability to evade part of these defenses. That does not mean that vaccines are of no use. They remain effective and reduce the severity of cases. Without them, this new variant would surely be more serious. But it is true that he is quite good at escapism.
And that is not its only peculiarity. Although the symptoms vary greatly from one person to another, two facts have been observed with the JN.1 variant that greatly differentiate it from other variants of the COVID-19 virus. The first is that very few people experience loss of sense of smell or taste. And the second, which can cause sleeping problems and anxiety.
Symptoms of the new variant of the COVID-19 virus
This new variant has already become the one that circulates the most in countries like USA. It is also abundant in the United Kingdom, whose Office for National Statistics just published a list of its most common symptoms.
It should be noted that these symptoms refer to cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in the month of December on British territory. In all cases, the viral genome has not been sequenced, so it is not possible to know if it is this new variant or one of the previous ones.
However, given that it is one of the most circulating, and given that there are symptoms that had not been recorded before, it can be concluded that they are own of JN.1.
The most abundant symptom continues to be runny nose, with 31.1% of those surveyed acknowledging having experienced it. They are followed by cough, with 22.9%, headache, with 20.1% and fatigue, with 19.6%. Additionally, 15.8% reported muscle pain and 13.2% reported sore throat.
These are all symptoms that have been seen with other variants of the COVID-19 virus. However, there are others two symptoms that have caught the attention of the authors of the survey.
Anxiety and insomnia, the cover letter of JN.1
He 10.8% of respondents reported problems sleeping and 10.5% worry or anxiety.
It is true that COVID-19 has been a source of anxiety since its inception. However, until now it had not been reported as a symptom of the disease.
In the absence of more tests to confirm it, we could be facing two new symptoms. Although this should not be seen as a certainty either. The symptoms depend a lot on the characteristics of each personas well as his immunity. Logically, someone prone to anxiety will be more likely to suffer from it with infection with this new variant. In the same way that someone who usually has a sore throat will suffer them more easily when get sick from COVID-19.
What is clear is that, whatever the symptoms, if there is even the slightest suspicion, measures must be taken to stop contagions. It is in our hands that this wave of respiratory viruses does not become a tsunami.