DHAKA, Bangladesh

The South Asian nation of Bangladesh has detected a COVID-19 sub-variant for the first time, said health authorities on Thursday.

The sub-variant, JN.1, is an omicron strain called a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

JN.1 was detected in a sample test of five individuals, Dr. Tahmina Shireen, director of the government’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, confirmed to Anadolu.

The strain was detected after testing samples of COVID patients in and out of the capital Dhaka.

Infections of this variant could rise further as COVID has started to spread during the winter, she added, saying that this variant is not deadly.

WHO confirmed this new strain last December, adding that the sub-variant can spread quickly but is less severe.

On Thursday, the Directorate General of Health Services said it reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 infection.

Since the first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Bangladesh in March 2020, nearly 30,000 people died, and over 2 million people out of a 170 million population were infected with coronavirus.

Health authorities said Tuesday they would start a fresh COVID-19 inoculation campaign.

A total of 25 million shots will be given in 2024 and 2025 under this campaign, including the fourth dose to at-risk populations, according to the Health Ministry.​​​​​​​