JN.1 COVID-19 Variant Becomes Dominant In US

The Hill (1/4, Weixel) reports, “The U.S. is riding another wave of rising COVID-19 infections, as holiday gatherings and a new variant are driving increased transmission.” According to the CDC, “the wastewater viral activity level for COVID-19 is the highest it’s been since the omicron surge in 2022,” while “a new variant called JN.1 has become the most dominant strain and was responsible for about 44 percent of infections nationwide by mid-December, a sharp rise from about 7 percent in late November.” Notably, “the Midwest is experiencing the highest levels of viral activity.”