New 'JN1' Variant of COVID-19 Detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The Health Department has mandated quarantine and implemented other necessary precautions for those infected.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has confirmed the presence of a new variant of COVID-19 after nine positive cases were reported in the province.

According to the Health Department, these cases, including the new 'JN1' variant, were identified in different hospitals across Peshawar, with five of them affecting women.

Two infected individuals have tested positive for both the JN1 and JN1-18 variants of the coronavirus. The Health Department has mandated quarantine and implemented other necessary precautions for those infected.

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Additionally, district health officers and medical superintendents have been instructed to intensify screening efforts for new cases and to resume diagnostic testing for COVID-19 upon identification of positive cases.

Contact tracing measures are underway for relatives and other individuals in districts where cases have been reported, with symptomatic individuals being prioritized for testing. Positive samples are being sent to the Public Health Reference Lab for further analysis.

Medical experts emphasize that while the new JN1 variant is not necessarily fatal, it exhibits rapid transmission characteristics. Hospitals have been briefed on the situation and provided with the necessary instructions to manage cases effectively.