In January, nine cases of a new sub-variant of the Omicron coronavirus strain, JN.1, called Jenny, have already been registered in Ukraine, the press service of the Ukrainian Health Ministry has said.
"In January, nine cases of the JN.1 'Jenny' sub-variant of the coronavirus were detected in five regions, which were confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory of the Public Health Centre of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Three cases in Sumy Region, two in Volyn and Cherkasy regions, and one in Rivne and Zaporizhzhya regions," said Ihor Kuzin, Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine.
He also said that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is constantly mutating and evading the immune response, which means that it is more likely to affect weakened immunity, so even those who have been vaccinated before can get sick, but the acquired immunity after vaccination reduces the risk of complications during the disease.
"Therefore, people who have not completed the COVID-19 vaccination course and those at risk of severe disease should consult their family doctor and get vaccinated," Kuzin added.
Among those who fell ill, only one in nine people had two COVID-19 vaccinations.According to clinical symptoms, doctors recorded a moderate or mild course of the disease, and only one person was hospitalised. The patients are aged 27-73 years.