GENEVA

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday classified the JN.1 COVID-19 variant as a "variant of interest," and said available evidence showed it posed a low global public health risk.

It, however, warned that JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

According to the UN agency, current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of COVID-19.

JN.1, first detected in the US in September, was earlier classified a variant of interest as part of its parent lineage BA.2.86, but the UN health agency has now termed it a separate variant of interest.

The WHO said coronavirus was not the only respiratory disease circulating, adding that influenza, RSV and common childhood pneumonia were on the rise.