Tengrinews.kz - The number of pneumonia cases has noticeably increased in Kazakhstan. The Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control reported that they are investigating whether this is related to new variants of the Omicron strain.
Tengrinews.kz - The number of pneumonia cases has noticeably increased in Kazakhstan. The Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control reported that they are investigating whether this is related to new variants of the Omicron strain.
According to the department, Kazakhstan recorded 49,704 cases of pneumonia in the first six months of 2024, which is a 19.2% increase compared to the same period last year. In 2023, there were 40,144 cases in the first half of the year out of a total of 123,910 for the year.
The committee reported that the dominant variant of the Omicron strain in Kazakhstan and globally is JN.1. Recent data show that in the country, the following variants are prevalent: JN.1.13 - 61%, JN.1.18 - 22%, and JN.1 - 8.7%.
"According to the World Health Organization, the JN.1 strain does not pose an increased risk to public health and is no more dangerous than other variants. Although this strain is highly contagious, it does not cause a more severe progression of the disease," the department assured.