New coronavirus variant: what monitoring showed in Kazakhstan
Tengrinews.kz — The WHO has announced it is closely monitoring the new PJ.2.1 coronavirus variant. While its prevalence is gradually increasing in the US and Canada, and cases have been reported in Europe, numbers remain low for now. Tengrinews investigated how the situation is being tracked in Kazakhstan and whether the new strain has reached the country.
New coronavirus strain: Kazakhstan data
The Sanitary and Epidemiological Control Committee informed us that monitoring of the COVID-19 epidemiological situation continues in Kazakhstan. According to the agency, the situation in the country remains stable.
"Over the last week, 21 cases of COVID-19 were registered, which is 48 percent lower than the previous week. Since the beginning of 2026, 327 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded—2.9 times lower than the figure for the same period last year," the press service stated.
Regarding the new PJ.2.1 variant, it belongs to the Omicron family and is a descendant of the JN.1 lineage. According to the results of the latest genomic monitoring, this variant has not been detected among the samples studied in Kazakhstan.
How the new coronavirus strain is detected
Experts explained that standard PCR diagnostic methods are used to detect COVID-19, while the specific genetic lineage of the virus is identified through Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). Developing a separate PCR test for each new variant is not required.
In other words, if this coronavirus strain appears in Kazakhstan, it will be identifiable. The Ministry of Health continues to monitor the situation.
As previously reported, the emergence of a new genetic lineage of the coronavirus does not, in itself, signal the start of a pandemic wave. It is premature to draw such conclusions.Specialists assess the danger of new variants based on several indicators:
severity of the disease,
number of hospitalizations and deaths,
the virus's ability to bypass existing immunity,
effectiveness of existing preventive measures
Experts point out that due to international travel, the risk of further spread of the new strain remains.
Currently, there is no published clinical data indicating that PJ.2.1 causes more severe illness compared to other recently identified coronavirus variants.