In Karachi, two additional individuals arriving from Saudi Arabia and the UAE have tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Pakistani authorities have initiated testing for a new coronavirus variant, JN-1, screening two percent of all international travelers at major airports in the country.
On January 5, the Sindh Health Department disclosed that two international travelers tested positive for the virus at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. JN-1 has been designated a variant of concern by the World Health Organization, indicating close monitoring, but it has not been included in the high-risk “watchlist” of strains.
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Shabbir Ali Babar, spokesperson for the Sindh Health Department, confirmed both cases, with one traveler arriving from Saudi Arabia and the other from Sharjah. These individuals, testing positive for COVID-19, were permitted to travel to their respective hometowns in Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, and Sanghar district, Sindh. They were advised to self-quarantine at their residences, as reported by local media.
The symptoms of JN-1 are believed to be akin to those of other omicron family members, typically commencing with a sore throat, followed by congestion and a dry cough.
