by Linda Straker
- 7 confirmed cases recorded from 27 November 2023 to 31 December 2023
- 17 cases recorded between 1–8 January 2024
- This version of Covid-19 includes symptoms of sore throat, fatigue, headache and cough
Grenada is experiencing a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases, comparing the last 5 weeks of 2023 to the first week of 2024 or 1–8 January 2024.
According to Dr Shawn Charles, MD MPH, Chief Medical Officer, there were 7 confirmed cases recorded from 27 November 2023 to 31 December 2023, or during epidemiology weeks 48 to 52.
In response to inquiries about Grenada’s Covid-19 statistics, Dr Charles said that week one — 1–8 January 2024 — recorded 17 cases. The ministry could not confirm if JN.1 or the latest Covid-19 variant of interest is among any reported cases, because the last time the reference lab at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), confirmed the type of Covid-19 variants in circulation was in September 2023. At that time, Omicron HH.2 and Omicron XBB.1.16 were the variants.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), JN.1 descends from variant BA.2.86, which is commonly referred to as Pirola and has an additional mutation in the spike protein. It has recently become the most widely circulating variant in the USA and France. As of January 2024, approximately 60% of cases in the United Kingdom are caused by JN.1, first detected in Luxembourg in August 2023, and spread to numerous countries over the following months. Genetic sequencing showed it was significantly different from most previous versions of omicron, and by November, it became apparent that JN.1 was rapidly taking over.
In a post from its communications office, John Hopkins University said that this version of the Covid-19 virus shares many of the same symptoms as earlier variants of Covid-19: a sore throat, fatigue, headache, and a cough.
