Weekly The Generation, Year 1, Issue 17
December 26, 2023
According to CDC estimates, the highly mutated strain was responsible for more than 2 in 5 new coronavirus infections in recent weeks
The Generation Desk: JN.1 was responsible for 44% – or more than 2 in 5 – new coronavirus infections in recent weeks, according to estimates from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.
JN.1, which is a close relative to BA.2.86, is the fastest growing variant in the U.S. However, the CDC assesses that “at this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants.”
COVID-19 tests and treatments are expected to work on JN.1. So far, it doesn’t appear to cause more severe disease, but it does seem to have advantages over the other strains.
Meanwhile, new COVID-19 hospitalizations are also on the rise. Weekly hospital admissions increased 10% last week to more than 25,500, according to CDC data.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have been increasing for weeks. The trend is expected to continue following end-of-year holiday travel and gatherings.
Public health officials warn that more hospitalizations are to be expected as they aren’t satisfied with vaccine uptake so far this respiratory illness season. About 18% of adults have rolled up their sleeves for the new COVID-19 shot, according to national survey data. It’s significantly lower than the 42% of adults who report getting a flu vaccine so far. “Respiratory illness activity is rapidly increasing across the United States, yet vaccination rates for COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remain low,” the CDC said in a recent post.
“Millions of people may get sick in the next month or two, and low vaccination rates means more people will get more severe disease.”
Only about half of Americans have gotten or plan to get the latest COVID-19 shot, according to a recent Gallup survey. Of those who say they likely won’t get the shot, the main reason cited was having a prior coronavirus infection and believing they have antibodies. The second most common reason given was concern over the safety of the vaccine. While the COVID-19 vaccines have repeatedly proven to be safe, vaccine hesitancy fueled by the coronavirus pandemic remains a significant public health issue.
