JN.1 Covid 19 variant: Are coronavirus symptoms still the same? Expert says, ‘tricky to identify as…’

With the onset of winter, we witness the emergence of a new COVID variant like every year which is fueling a sudden spike in cases. 

As of December 21, India reported 22 cases of the JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19. However, no clustering of cases has been observed, and all instances of the subvariant exhibit mild symptoms. But are all the symptoms the same as before or are we noticing a few new symptoms too?  

Kerala, the first state to report the JN.1 Covid variant reported 265 fresh Covid-19 infections and one death in the last 24 hours. The total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country was recorded at 2,997.

Are COVID-19 symptoms still the same?

Experts caution identifying the subtle changes in symptoms caused by different COVID-19 variants is challenging due to diverse antibodies from vaccinations or prior infections.

"The types of symptoms and how severe they usually depend more on a person's immunity and overall health rather than which variant causes the infection," the CDC said in a report on Dec. 8 discussing the JN.1 strain, as reported by CBC News. 

Now with COVID-19 and influenza on the rise, here are a few common symptoms that are being noticed: 

Runny Nose (31.1%)

Cough (22.9%)

Headache (20.1%)

Weakness or tiredness (19.6%)

Muscle ache (15.8%)

Sore throat (13.2%)

Trouble sleeping (10.8%)

Worry or anxiety (10.5%)

Research through last winter, co-authored by health authorities in the U.K., found symptoms were similar for COVID-19 and other germs that often drive respiratory illnesses during the winter.

"Cough, sore throat, sneezing, fatigue and headache were all among the most commonly reported symptoms for each of the three infections, suggesting that discriminating between SARS-CoV-2, influenza and RSV based on symptoms alone may prove challenging," they wrote in a preprint, that has not been peer-reviewed, released in October, CBC News said

That is also in line with other research from previous waves of COVID-19.