新冠變異株JN.1癥狀簡介：“Pirola”與其他奧密克戎毒株有何不同？
ERIN PRATER
2024-01-02
報道稱腹瀉病例呈上升趨勢，可能與新冠病毒變異株JN.1有關，也可能無關。圖片來源：ILLUSTRATION BY GETTY IMAGES
美國的新冠感染水平呈急劇上升趨勢。人們可能懷疑今冬疾病到底是最新瘟疫還是完全不同的原因。
和往常一樣，僅憑癥狀無法區分新冠與流感、呼吸道合胞病毒和其他常見的冬季疾病，例如鼻病毒、腸道病毒和副流感病毒。雖然全新高度變異的新冠病毒變種“Pirola”JN.1如今橫行全球，準確區分仍然難度很大。更重要的是，存在同時感染兩種或兩種以上病毒的情況。
和往常一樣，如果感染的是新冠病毒，在醫療機構或家中檢測是最方便的確診方式。出現病癥應該咨詢醫療機構，如果癥狀輕微且沒有其他狀況，具體病因可能無關緊要。
不過，隨著新冠病毒新變種引起各方關注，人們想知道新冠病毒引發癥狀有沒有改變，或者需不需要采取戴口罩等預防措施。以下是應對冬季疾病需要了解的信息。
JN.1癥狀與普通新冠癥狀是否不同？
尚無定論。據報道，腹瀉病例呈上升趨勢，可能與新冠有關也可能無關。與此同時，人們猜測病毒可能會滯留腸道，而不是像奧密克戎一樣攻擊上呼吸道，或是像最初的新冠病毒在下呼吸道肆虐。
專家建議留意胃腸道癥狀，要明確知曉胃腸不適可能是新冠癥狀而不僅僅是胃流感。不過正如約翰斯·霍普金斯健康安全中心（Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security）的高級學者阿梅什·阿達利亞指出，一直都有人因新冠出現胃腸道癥狀，包括惡心、嘔吐和腹瀉等。
此外，也要留意常見的新冠癥狀，可能包括：
? 發燒
? 寒戰
? 咳嗽
? 呼吸急促/呼吸困難
? 疲倦
? 肌肉/身體疼痛
? 頭痛
? 喉嚨痛
? 充血/流鼻涕
JN.1會不會導致更嚴重的新冠病例？
同樣未有定論。不過已知的是，在美國和其他地方新冠導致住院人數呈上升趨勢，JN.1引發病例情況一樣。
根據最新的聯邦健康數據，截至12月16日，新冠導致美國住院人數每周增加10%。美國新冠病例中JN.1引發病例最多，截至12月22日估計略低于44%。
根據12月12日世界衛生組織（World Health Organization）更新的新冠數據，在全球范圍內，從11月底到12月初報告的JN.1毒株在三周內增加了八倍。在此期間，全球報告的住院人數增加了23%。
不過相關性并不等于因果關系。值得注意的是，疫情最高峰以來，不管是新冠病毒樣本測序，還是住院和死亡等各種報告指標都大幅下降，意味著統計數據可能會出現誤導。例如：住院人數增加速度可能比人們意識到要快。或者也許JN.1所占比例比起實際要小。
還有重要的一點需要指出，盡管全球范圍內新冠導致住院人數呈上升趨勢，但JN.1可能不是罪魁禍首，至少不能全歸罪于該變種。群體免疫力，也就是一群人因接種疫苗和/或先前感染而對病毒產生的集體抵抗力平均在三到六個月后減弱。由于新冠疫苗和加強針接種率水平較低，美國成年人當中只有18%接種了9月最新發布的加強針，所以不管是哪種毒株，病毒都會傳播更廣，住院和死亡等嚴重后果都可能更常見。
新冠病毒檢測對JN.1是否有效？
專家表示，家用新冠病毒檢測準確性跟以往一樣。但他們警告稱，病毒載量較低時不太可能測出陽性，很多感染者可能檢測得太早或太遲。專家建議，如果出現癥狀但檢測結果為陰性，可以等幾天再檢測。
今年冬天，美國有哪些病毒傳播？
簡單來說：都是老慣犯。根據美國疾病控制和預防中心最新可用數據，美國所有新冠、流感和呼吸道合胞病毒檢測中，12月中旬約12%呈陽性。從某種角度來說，在放棄疫情防控措施的社區中，世界衛生組織和其他公共衛生機構早已放棄檢測陽性率低于5%的目標。
今年冬天應該戴口罩嗎？
專家們越發推薦戴口罩，還不僅為了預防新冠。由于本地呼吸道病原體傳播較快，紐約和伊利諾伊州等地的醫院重新要求戴口罩。因新冠和呼吸道合胞病毒水平激增，北加利福尼亞州約洛縣建議公共場所要戴口罩。
約翰斯·霍普金斯大學醫學部（Johns Hopkins’ Department of Medicine）負責數據完整性和分析的醫學副主席斯圖爾特·雷建議“在公共場所尤其是室內，在不干擾正常活動的情況下，應正確佩戴口罩?！?/p>
“起碼也能保持面部溫暖，”他補充道。（財富中文網）
譯者：夏林
美國的新冠感染水平呈急劇上升趨勢。人們可能懷疑今冬疾病到底是最新瘟疫還是完全不同的原因。
和往常一樣，僅憑癥狀無法區分新冠與流感、呼吸道合胞病毒和其他常見的冬季疾病，例如鼻病毒、腸道病毒和副流感病毒。雖然全新高度變異的新冠病毒變種“Pirola”JN.1如今橫行全球，準確區分仍然難度很大。更重要的是，存在同時感染兩種或兩種以上病毒的情況。
和往常一樣，如果感染的是新冠病毒，在醫療機構或家中檢測是最方便的確診方式。出現病癥應該咨詢醫療機構，如果癥狀輕微且沒有其他狀況，具體病因可能無關緊要。
不過，隨著新冠病毒新變種引起各方關注，人們想知道新冠病毒引發癥狀有沒有改變，或者需不需要采取戴口罩等預防措施。以下是應對冬季疾病需要了解的信息。
JN.1癥狀與普通新冠癥狀是否不同？
尚無定論。據報道，腹瀉病例呈上升趨勢，可能與新冠有關也可能無關。與此同時，人們猜測病毒可能會滯留腸道，而不是像奧密克戎一樣攻擊上呼吸道，或是像最初的新冠病毒在下呼吸道肆虐。
專家建議留意胃腸道癥狀，要明確知曉胃腸不適可能是新冠癥狀而不僅僅是胃流感。不過正如約翰斯·霍普金斯健康安全中心（Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security）的高級學者阿梅什·阿達利亞指出，一直都有人因新冠出現胃腸道癥狀，包括惡心、嘔吐和腹瀉等。
此外，也要留意常見的新冠癥狀，可能包括：
? 發燒
? 寒戰
? 咳嗽
? 呼吸急促/呼吸困難
? 疲倦
? 肌肉/身體疼痛
? 頭痛
? 喉嚨痛
? 充血/流鼻涕
JN.1會不會導致更嚴重的新冠病例？
同樣未有定論。不過已知的是，在美國和其他地方新冠導致住院人數呈上升趨勢，JN.1引發病例情況一樣。
根據最新的聯邦健康數據，截至12月16日，新冠導致美國住院人數每周增加10%。美國新冠病例中JN.1引發病例最多，截至12月22日估計略低于44%。
根據12月12日世界衛生組織（World Health Organization）更新的新冠數據，在全球范圍內，從11月底到12月初報告的JN.1毒株在三周內增加了八倍。在此期間，全球報告的住院人數增加了23%。
不過相關性并不等于因果關系。值得注意的是，疫情最高峰以來，不管是新冠病毒樣本測序，還是住院和死亡等各種報告指標都大幅下降，意味著統計數據可能會出現誤導。例如：住院人數增加速度可能比人們意識到要快?；蛘咭苍SJN.1所占比例比起實際要小。
還有重要的一點需要指出，盡管全球范圍內新冠導致住院人數呈上升趨勢，但JN.1可能不是罪魁禍首，至少不能全歸罪于該變種。群體免疫力，也就是一群人因接種疫苗和/或先前感染而對病毒產生的集體抵抗力平均在三到六個月后減弱。由于新冠疫苗和加強針接種率水平較低，美國成年人當中只有18%接種了9月最新發布的加強針，所以不管是哪種毒株，病毒都會傳播更廣，住院和死亡等嚴重后果都可能更常見。
新冠病毒檢測對JN.1是否有效？
專家表示，家用新冠病毒檢測準確性跟以往一樣。但他們警告稱，病毒載量較低時不太可能測出陽性，很多感染者可能檢測得太早或太遲。專家建議，如果出現癥狀但檢測結果為陰性，可以等幾天再檢測。
今年冬天，美國有哪些病毒傳播？
簡單來說：都是老慣犯。根據美國疾病控制和預防中心最新可用數據，美國所有新冠、流感和呼吸道合胞病毒檢測中，12月中旬約12%呈陽性。從某種角度來說，在放棄疫情防控措施的社區中，世界衛生組織和其他公共衛生機構早已放棄檢測陽性率低于5%的目標。
今年冬天應該戴口罩嗎？
專家們越發推薦戴口罩，還不僅為了預防新冠。由于本地呼吸道病原體傳播較快，紐約和伊利諾伊州等地的醫院重新要求戴口罩。因新冠和呼吸道合胞病毒水平激增，北加利福尼亞州約洛縣建議公共場所要戴口罩。
約翰斯·霍普金斯大學醫學部（Johns Hopkins’ Department of Medicine）負責數據完整性和分析的醫學副主席斯圖爾特·雷建議“在公共場所尤其是室內，在不干擾正常活動的情況下，應正確佩戴口罩?！?/p>
“起碼也能保持面部溫暖，”他補充道。（財富中文網）
譯者：夏林
COVID wastewater levels are trending steeply upward in the U.S. It may leave you wondering if your winter illness is because of humanity’s newest scourge or something different entirely.
As always, it’s impossible to distinguish COVID from the flu, RSV, and other common winter illnesses like rhinoviruses, enteroviruses, and parainfluenza viruses by symptoms alone. Even with the new, highly mutated COVID variant “Pirola” JN.1, now globally dominant, this remains true. What’s more, it’s possible to have two or more infections at the same time.
As always, testing—at a health care facility or at home, in the case of COVID—is the only true way to determine the source of your illness. And while you should consult your health care provider, if your symptoms are mild and you don’t have other health conditions, the cause may not matter.
Still, with a new COVID variant making a splash, it’s fair to wonder if coronavirus symptoms have changed or if precautions like masking are again warranted. Here’s what you need to know to manage the winter illnesses that are likely headed your way.
Are JN.1 symptoms different from normal COVID symptoms?
The jury is still out. Cases of diarrhea, which may or may not be related, are reportedly on the rise. This comes as speculation swirls that the virus might be taking up residence in the gut—versus like the upper respiratory tract, where Omicron tends to hang out, or the lower respiratory tract, where initial strains of COVID wreaked havoc.
Keep an eye out for GI symptoms and realize they could be signs of COVID, not just the stomach flu, experts advise. But as Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, points out, COVID has always caused GI symptoms in some, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Otherwise, keep an eye out for the usual COVID symptoms, which may include:
? Fever
? Chills
? Cough
? Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
? Fatigue
? Muscle/body aches
? Headache
? Sore throat
? Congestion/runny nose
Is JN.1 causing more severe cases of COVID?
Once again, the jury is still out. What we do know, however, is that COVID hospitalizations are trending upward in the U.S. and elsewhere, as are cases of JN.1.
In the U.S., COVID hospital admissions had risen 10% week-over-week as of Dec. 16, according to the latest federal health data. And JN.1 was projected to lead U.S. COVID cases, estimated to be behind 44% of them as of Dec. 22.
Globally, reported sequences of JN.1 increased eightfold in a three-week period during late November into early December, according to the World Health Organization’s Dec. 22 COVID update. Reported hospitalizations rose 23% globally during that period.
But correlation does not equal causation. It’s important to note that sequencing of COVID samples and reporting of various metrics like hospitalizations and deaths have declined greatly since the height of the pandemic, meaning statistics could appear misleading. For example: Hospitalizations may be rising quicker than we realize. Or perhaps JN.1 is responsible for a smaller share of sequences than we know.
It’s also important to note that while COVID hospitalizations are on the rise globally, JN.1 may not be to blame—not entirely, at least. Population immunity—or the collective resistance to a virus in a group of people due to vaccination and/or prior infection—wanes after three to six months, on average. With COVID vaccine and booster uptake at low levels—only 18% of U.S. adults have received the latest booster, released in September—the disease will spread more widely, and severe outcomes like hospitalizations and deaths could become more common, regardless of variant.
Do COVID tests still work against JN.1?
At-home COVID tests remain as accurate as they’ve ever been, experts say. But they caution that many infected people test too early or too late, when viral loads are low and unlikely to turn a test positive. If you have symptoms but test negative, wait another couple of days and test again, experts recommend.
What viruses are circulating in the U.S. this winter?
In short: the usual suspects. Around 12% of all tests for COVID, flu, and RSV performed in the U.S. were returning positive mid-December, according to the latest available data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For some perspective, a long-ago abandoned goal from the World Health Organization and other public health agencies was a test-positivity rate of below 5%, for communities that wanted to cast aside pandemic precautions.
Should I be masking this winter?
Experts are increasingly recommending it, and not just because of COVID. Some hospitals, like those in New York and Illinois, are again requiring masks because of high levels of respiratory pathogen circulation in their area. And Yolo County in Northern California is recommending masking in public spaces due to surging levels of COVID and RSV.
Dr. Stuart Ray, vice chair of medicine for data integrity and analytics at Johns Hopkins’ Department of Medicine, recommends “wearing an effective respirator in public spaces, especially indoors, when it doesn’t interfere with essential tasks.”
“Not a bad way to keep your face warm, too,” he adds.
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