New coronavirus variant JN1 detected in Peshawar

A new variant of the coronavirus, JN-1 has emerged in Peshawar.

According to the Director General of Health Services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's letter sent to the District Health Officers, two employees of Khyber Medical University have been affected by the JN-1 virus.

The Director General of Health Services has directed measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

According to the letter, 9 patients affected by coronavirus have been reported in the province last year.

Dr. Arshad Roghani, Director Public Health, has stated that the spread of the JN-1 variant is 83%, and the mortality rate from the JN-1 variant of coronavirus is lower. Public advisory regarding the virus has also been issued.

Meanwhile, health experts have recommended adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Covid-19 after detection of nine positive cases of three different variants of coronavirus in the past seven days in the provincial capital.

Health experts said that situation could become worse if the department failed to start efforts to scale up awareness and test the close relatives of the diagnosed patients immediately.

They said that more testing was essential to ascertain the actual quantum of cases. They said that people should start observance of Covid-19 SOPs including frequent hand-washing with soap, particularly after visiting public places, and using facemasks.

They said that people with history of lungs, heart and respiratory ailments and diabetes should visit hospitals in case of having symptoms of Covid-19. Co-morbid people were most vulnerable to getting infected than normal people, they added.