NEW DELHI: The World Health Organization classified the JN.1 strain of COVID-19 as a "variant of interest" but added that it did not pose a major threat to public health.

Previously, JN.1 was classified as a variant of interest under its parent lineage BA.2.86. "Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low," said WHO.

The organisation added that current vaccines will be able to protect people against severe disease and death from the new variant JN.1 as well as other circulating variants of COVID-19.

The World Health Organization earlier said that the virus has been evolving and changing and appealed to the member states to continue sharing the sequence of virus spread and carry out strong surveillance.

Earlier this month, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the subvariant JN.1 has been found in an estimated 15 per cent to 29 per cent of cases in the United States till December 8, as per the latest projections of the agency.

It said that currently, no evidence has proved that JN.1 can increase the risk to public health in comparison to other current variants which have been circulating and added that that an updated vaccine will be helpful in keeping Americans protected against the variant.

According to the CDC, the variant of JN.1 was first detected in September in the United States. Last week, seven infections of the COVID subvariant were detected by China.

The JN.1 variant was also detected in the Indian state of Kerala which forced the government to issue an advisory to the state governments appealing them to make adequate health arrangements.

"Considering the upcoming festive season, there is a need to put in place requisite public health measures and other arrangements to minimise the risk of increase in transmission of the disease by adherence to the maintenance of respiratory hygiene,” read the advisory.