Faced with COVID-19 JN.1 variant, MOH insists on self-care

The National Institute of Health (INS) has issued a warning about the presence of a new variant of COVID-19, dubbed JN.1, prompting the Ministry of Health to urge the public to strengthen preventive measures. In this sense, the use of face masks is recommended if you have respiratory symptoms and need to be in public places or leave the house. In addition, this recommendation applies to people visiting elder care centers for preventive purposes.

What WHO says about the COVID-19 JN.1 variant

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the COVID-19 JN.1 variant as a “variant of concern” (VOI). This omicron subvariant is characterized by the presence of more than 50 mutations in the spike protein, raising questions about its impact on infectivity, disease severity, and vaccine efficacy.

According to the WHO, current scientific evidence suggests that JN.1 has greater transmissibility but does not appear to be associated with an increase in severe cases of COVID-19. Additionally, the updated vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and the virus that causes COVID-19.

Although scientific information on this variant is limited, WHO emphasizes the importance of maintaining and strengthening established public health measures such as vaccination, mask use, social distancing and adequate indoor ventilation.

Recommendations for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 JN.1 variant

The Department of Health emphasizes the importance of self-care and prevention, such as frequent hand washing for at least 20 seconds with water, soap or glycerin alcohol. It also emphasizes the need to maintain adequate ventilation in indoor spaces and adherence to vaccination schedules, especially for boys and girls under 5 years of age, people over 60 years of age and those with chronic diseases. Recommended vaccines include COVID-19, influenza, and whooping cough.

Regarding the availability of intensive care unit (ICU) beds, it was reported that the city has a supply of 1,200 beds, with a current occupancy rate of 79.7%. It is important to note that only 3.8% (45 beds) are dedicated to COVID-19 patients, of which 38 are occupied. These data reflect a decline in the number of severe cases requiring this type of care. Overall intensive care unit occupancy in Bogotá remains stable, indicating that the city has sufficient hospital capacity should demand for these services increase.

cases of COVID-19 in 2024

In terms of COVID-19 cases, the county reported 256 active cases in the first week of January 2024, representing a 23% increase from the last week of December 2023. This increase may be due to increased social interaction during the year-end holiday. However, in the last three weeks of December 2023, the city did not record a single death related to COVID-19, and occupancy in critical services remained stable. This indicates that although the number of cases has increased, they have not had severe symptoms requiring specialized care and have not been fatal.

It is vital that the public continues to follow prevention and self-care measures to prevent the spread of the virus, especially now that a new variant has been identified. Hand washing, mask use and vaccination are key actions in controlling the disease. It is also encouraging to know that hospital capacity is well positioned to meet any increase in demand for medical care. Together, as a community, we can overcome this situation while maintaining a strong commitment to our health and the health of others.