WHO anticipates that this variant “may cause an increase in SARS-CoV-2 cases amid asurge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season.” “Considering the available, yet limited evidence, the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low at the global level,” WHO said in a report that evaluates the initial risk of the strain. The variant, called JN.1, is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “variant of interest,” but health experts say the variant does not show any signs of more severe disease if contracted. As respiratory virus season kicks off in North America, a heavily mutated COVID-19 variant is expected to keep spreading throughout the holidays, but experts say the risk to public health remains “low.”