New York, Jan 5: Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases propelled by the highly transmissible JN.1 variant and seasonal flu, numerous hospitals in several US states have reintroduced mask mandates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disclosed in its latest update before Christmas that JN.1 has become the predominant variant in the US. The proportion of JN.1 viruses over the past 2 weeks has surged sharply, rising from 15-29 per cent to 39-50 per cent, according to the CDC’s update on December 22.
As a response to the increasing prevalence of JN.1, local officials in various states, including New York, Illinois, California, North Carolina, and Massachusetts, have called for the reimposition of mask mandates for staff, patients, and visitors.
Both Los Angeles County and New York City have issued orders mandating masks for everyone entering healthcare facilities. The mandate applies to individuals accessing New York hospitals, community health centers, and nursing homes, as per a statement from the NYC public hospital system.
Christopher Miller, spokesman for NYC Health Hospitals, emphasized the need for these measures, stating, “As we’ve seen an increase in Covid, flu, and RSV, this is really to protect our patients, staff, and the community.”
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan explained the importance of the mandates, especially in preventing staffing shortages: “What we don’t want is staffing shortages, right? When we saw the Omicron wave in 2022, the biggest issues were not only people getting sick, but that we had a lot of frontline health workers, they were out with Covid.”
Rush University medical system in Chicago also implemented mask requirements for patients, visitors, and staff in specific areas of the campus, such as clinical waiting areas and patient registration.
These mask mandates aim to safeguard individuals not only from the JN.1 variant but also from other respiratory diseases like the flu and RSV, which are on the rise during the winter season.
JN.1, classified as a variant of interest (VOI) by the World Health Organization (WHO), has spread to about 41 countries since its first detection in Luxembourg in August. Although JN.1 shares similarities with its parent variant BA.2.86, it possesses an additional mutation (L455S) in the spike protein with immune-evasion properties.
The CDC emphasized that existing vaccines, tests, and treatments are effective against JN.1. However, it remains too early to determine the extent of the variant’s impact on infections or hospitalizations.
Globally, JN.1 is becoming the dominant variant, causing spikes in infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in some countries. The CDC continues to monitor and assess the situation closely.
