COVID-19’s first case in India was reported on 30 January 2020. It has adversely affected people globally. India has the second-largest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19. The world is still fighting a battle against the virus, and now a new variant has been reported in India, JN.1.
21 cases of new COVID variant JN.1 have been detected across the country, NITI Aayog member VK Paul said on Wednesday but asserted there is no need to panic. According to media reports, 19 cases of the new variant were found in Goa and one each in Maharashtra and Kerala. In the last 2 weeks, 16 deaths have been recorded for COVID 19 which has had significant comorbidities.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the situation of COVID-19 and the preparedness of health facilities because of rising COVID-19 cases across the country and stressed being alert against emerging strains.
Symptoms of New Covid Variant JN.1
Experts report that fever, runny nose, headache, and sore throat are some of the initial symptoms of the new variant JN.1, some patients might even face breathing problems.
Statement of Union Health Secretary
Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant said that even though cases are increasing, 92.8 percent of the cases are in home isolation, indicating mild illness. “No increase in hospitalization rates has been witnessed due to COVID-19. The cases that have been hospitalized were due to other medical conditions and Covid was an incidental finding,” he said.
According to some media reports, “Pant said the variant was currently under intense scientific scrutiny but not a cause of immediate concern. No clustering of cases due to the JN.1 variant has been observed in India. All the cases were found to be mild, and the patients recovered without any complications”.
Cases reported in India of COVID-19
According to the Union Health Ministry’s data updated on Wednesday India has recorded 614 coronavirus infections, and the active cases have increased to 2,311.
The World Health Organisation has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” given its rapidly increasing spread but said it poses a “low” global public health risk.
Union Health Secretary advisory to all the states
According to a press statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the Union Health Secretary has written to the States and UTs emphasizing the necessity of keeping a close eye on the COVID-19 situation across the nation. “Considering the upcoming festive season, States were advised to put in place requisite public health measures and other arrangements to minimize the risk of increase in transmission of the disease by adherence to the maintenance of respiratory hygiene”, it said.
To detect all the cases as soon as possible, the states have also been requested to keep track of and report any cases of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and influenza-like sickness (ILI) at any medical facility.