A sub-variant of the Omicron strain of coronavirus has been classified as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organization, because of "its rapidly increasing spread".

JN.1 has been found in many countries around the world, including India, China, UK and the United States.

The risk to the public is currently low and current vaccines continue to offer protection, the WHO says.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently tracking a number of variants of interest linked to Omicron - including JN.1 - although none of them are deemed to be concerning.

But JN.1 is spreading quickly in many corners of the world.

It is currently the fastest-growing variant in the United States, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, accounting for 15-29% of infections.

The UK Health Security Agency says JN.1 currently makes up around 7% of positive Covid tests analysed in a lab. It said it would continue to monitor all available data on this and other variants.

There are no reports of people becoming more ill with this variant than previous ones.

But more studies are needed to work out the health impact, the WHO says, as the number of countries reporting data on people admitted to hospital with Covid has dramatically reduced.

To prevent infections and severe disease, the WHO advises:

wear a mask in crowded, enclosed areas
cover up coughs and sneezes
clean your hands regularly
stay up to date with Covid and flu vaccinations, especially if vulnerable
stay home if ill
get tested if you have symptoms