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PremiumCovid news Highlights: Covid-19 cases in India have started increasing once again. Along with this, the threat of JN.1 sub-variant is also being seen with its first case reported in Kerala. JN.1 is a descendant of the "pirola" variant BA 2.86, which by itself is an Omicron subvariant. JN.1 has an additional mutation receptor binding domain (L455S) compared to BA 2.86. JN.1 has extensive resistance across receptor binding domain classes 1, 2, and 3 and shows higher immune evasion as compared with BA 2.86 and other resistant strains. The World Health Organization has classified JN.1 as a variant of interest. IMA COVID Task Force Dr Rajeev Jayadevan on Thursday said that the new strain can be problematic for people of old age and those with multiple comorbidities.
Speaking of Covid cases in India, India on Thursday recorded 594 fresh COVID-19 infections while the number of active cases increased to 2,669 from 2,311 the previous day. The death toll climbed to 5,33,327 with six more people -- three from Kerala, two from Karnataka and one from Punjab -- succumbing to the viral disease.
Catch all the highlights on Covid and the sub-variant JN.1 here
The Karnataka government has constituted a cabinet sub-committee to tackle the COVID-19 situation in the state and monitor it. The committee includes Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, cabinet ministers Sharan Prakash Patil, Dr HC Mahadevappa and Dr MC Sudhakar.
Data from the Health Ministry indicates that India has 2,997 active COVID-19 cases as of Friday morning.
The state has kept medicines on standby. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was informed during a review meeting on Friday that oxygen infrastructure is also being readied and 57,000 oxygen beds were kept ready.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting on Friday and assured that there was no need to worry about the JN.1 strain. Senior officials have been cautioned to take preventive steps.
"Alert the village and ward secretariat system, and the village clinic system for preventive steps. Village clinic staff should be made aware of the steps that need to be taken against the new variant," Reddy said in an official press release.
Three people including a six-month-old baby tested positive for COVID-19 in West Bengal. It it yet to be ascertained whether the trio were infected by the new JN.1 strain of COVID-19.
“The situation is totally under control. We have to expect more cases as airport surveillance done in Singapore Airport shows that 19 passengers from India, not only Keraa but different parts, were found with JN.1. We have plan A, B, C ready. There is nothing to worry about. The transmissibility of this variant is more but the severity is less," Health Minister Veena George said on Friday.
Former World Health Organisation chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan has asserted that there is no need to panic currently as it is a variant of interest and not of concern. She urged people to remain cautious and take proper precautionary measures.
“We need to be cautious, but we don't need to worry because we don't have any data to suggest that this variant JN.1 is more severe or it's going to cause more pneumonia, more death. I think what we need to do is try to take the normal preventive measures that we are all now familiar with," she told news agency ANI.
There are five factors to determine when a Covid-19 situation becomes serious. Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, a leading public health and policy expert, and healthcare professional Sabine Kapasi had earlier listed a few factors that could hint at an alarming Covid-19 situation.
According to them, one must watch out if:
1. There are any new mutations and clustering cases in an area.
2. There is a rise in severity of the infection.
3. There is a shift in symptoms of Covid-19
4. There is a rise in hospitalisation
5. There is an increase in mortality.
Therefore, while there is an upsurge in Covid cases due to the JN.1 variant, "there is no increase in serious diseases (those infected have mild cough and fever)", NITI Aayog member-Health VK Paul said.
"This is the same virus which is driving an upsurge in other countries but we don't have to worry," said VK Paul added.
Meanwhile, Soumya Swaminathan said there's a "need to...take the normal preventive measures that we are all now familiar with...not much has changed, but one or two new mutations have come up. And that's why I think WHO has said let's keep a watch on it. It's a variant of interest. It's not a variant of concern..."
1. High transmissibility of JN.1. "The variant is fast growing across all WHO regions with consistent SARS-CoV-2 sequence data sharing and has become the most prevalent variant in some countries," the WHO says.
2. JN.1 may display a higher immune evasion property. The WHO says the immune escape potential of JN.1 depends on the immune background of the population tested.
3. The WHO says countries approaching the winter season should be aware that, altogether, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing the Covid-19 disease) and co-circulating pathogens (influenza, flu, rhinovirus etc) may exacerbate the respiratory disease burden
VK Paul has said that the scientific community in India was closely investigating the new variant. The NITI Aayog member asserted that there was no need to panic and emphasised on the need for states to ramp up testing and strengthen their surveillance systems.
Earlier, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant had said that the variant was currently under intense scientific scrutiny but not a cause of immediate concern. "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 was quoted by PTI as saying
Senior consultant in Chest Medicine at Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Ujjwal Prakash has explained that JN.1 is similar to other variants and sub-variants observed globally, ANI has reported.
Common symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, headache.
Some may also face mild gastrointestinal symptoms.
As per Dr Prakash, some patients may witness mild upper respiratory symptoms which typically improve within four to five days.
As per media reports, some symptoms might include extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, loss of taste or smell
-JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) variant is a descendant of the BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola) of coronavirus.
-BA.2.86 lineage, first identified in August 2023, is phylogenetically distinct from the circulating SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB lineages, including EG.5.1 and HK.3. BA.2.86 carries more than 30 mutations in the spike (5) protein, indicating a high potential for immune evasion
-JN.1 was first detected in Denmark and Israel in late July 2023.
-According to officials, the sub-strain is currently said to be prevalent in 36-40 countries has has led to 16 deaths over the last couple of weeks, as reported by PTI.
-The World Health Organisation has classifyied the JN.1 Covid variant as the “variant of interest."
In an interaction with Livemint, Dr. Gurmeet Singh Chabbra, Director-Pulmonary, Marengo Asia Hospitals Faridabad said that according to CDC, vaccines will not block completely JN.1 infections, they should reduce likely hood of severe illness and hospitalisation.
“Data from Singapore shows that those who received their last vaccine dose less than 1 year ago were less likely to develop severe disease as compared to those who received it more than a year ago," Dr. Gurmeet Singh Chabbra said. Read more here
A Noida resident has tested positive for Covid, in the first case of the infection in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar after several months, said officials, adding that his sample has been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing and the result is awaited. Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer Dr Sunil Sharma on Thursday said the patient is a 54-year-old male who lives in Noida but works at a multinational company in Gurugram. Read more here
After cases of a new variant of Corona were found in many states including Kerala, isolation wards and other arrangements have been tightened at the Government hospital of Doon Medical College in Uttarakhand.
At present 5893 oxygen support isolation beds and more than 3100 trained paramedical staff are available in the state.
Anurag Aggarwal, Nodal Officer of Doon Medical College and Covid-19, said that there is no need for anyone to panic as per the advisory that has come.
"As per the latest advisory, we need not panic. The only requisite right now is to get tested as soon as you catch the flu. We will increase testing for the new variant and will also keep updating the number of patients on the portal," he said.
Covid news LIVE: Kerala reported 265 fresh COVID-19 infections and one death due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Friday.
Of the 328 coronavirus infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 265 were from Kerala, taking the active cases in the state to 2,606, as per the website.
With one death reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,060.
On Covid-19 situation, Bilaspur Chief Medical and Health Officer Rajesh Shukla said, "Till now, 136 people have been tested. One of them has been tested positive in the RTPCR test. The patient had a cough and cold for a few days... The sample will be sent to AIIMS Raipur to test if the variant is new or old... The patient has a travel history. He had travelled back from Mumbai..."
Covid news LIVE updates: Isolation ward and other arrangements tightened at Government hospital of Doon Medical College after new cases of COVID-19 variant JN.1 are found in few states. CMS, Doon Hospital, Anurag Agarwal said, “As per the latest advisory, we need not panic. The only requisite right now is to get tested as soon as you catch the flu. We will increase testing for the new variant and will also keep updating the number of patients on the portal… An oxygen ward of 20 beds has been prepared for COVID-19 and an ICU ward of 09 beds has also been reserved for COVID... The new variant is not very different from the previous variant but those suffering from cancer, sugar, kidney and heart were advised to be more careful with this variant."
The Chandigarh administration has advised people to wear masks in the wake of the spread of the JN.1 sub-variant of Covid-19, Hindustan reported on Thursday. The administration made it mandatory for attendants, doctors and other hospital staff to wear masks in hospitals. It also advised people to avoid crowded areas as much as possible. Read more here
COVID-19 Sub Variant JN: Viruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, undergo frequent mutations. While many genetic alterations are inconsequential, some can enhance the virus's ability to infect cells or evade antibodies. Read more here
Covid news LIVE updates: The number of fresh COVID-19 cases in Singapore jumped to 965 in the past week, up from 763 the previous week. The number of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) went up from 23 to 32 in the same period. These are the highest numbers of new weekly hospitalisation and ICU admission for COVID-19 patients in 2023, TODAY newspaper reported on Thursday. Most COVID-19 patients here are infected by JN.1, a sublineage of the coronavirus' Omicron subvariant BA.2.86. With the JN.1 variant, winter conditions in the northern hemisphere and more people choosing not to wear masks have fueled the increase in COVID-19 cases, TODAY, citing experts, reported. (PTI)
Covid news LIVE updates: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday held a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in the state in view of the detection of the JN.1 sub variant in some parts of the country.
The state was fully prepared to tackle the situation and people must not panic but should take precautions, especially due to the upcoming festival and new year season, Shinde said.
In his address after the meeting that he chaired through video conferencing, Shinde said the symptoms of the new sub variant were mild but it seems to spread faster.
During the meeting, the CM was informed that Maharashtra has 63,000 isolation beds to tackle the ailment, a release by the Thane district information office said.
Covid news LIVE updates: The health department here has swung into action after corona was confirmed in a woman, who returned from abroad.
The department on Thursday identified 62 suspected patients, who came to the OPD of the civil hospital and the primary health centers, said an official.
After identifying them, the samples of all were taken and sent to the lab for testing. Reports of all the suspected patients will come from the lab on Friday. It was a matter of relief that no new Covid patient was found in the last 24 hours.
A senior officer of the health department said that samples of 22 patients were taken from the antigen kit. The reports of 10 patients are yet to come from the government lab.
District Surveillance Officer Dr Jai Prakash Rajliwal said that the infected female patient is undergoing treatment in home isolation.
With JN.1 variant fueling another COVID surge in India, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former WHO chief scientist, said that the new strain should not be dismissed as a ‘common cold’ and warned saying ‘let's not take things lightly’ this time. Read more here
Covid news LIVE updates: A Noida resident has tested positive for Covid, in a first case of the infection in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar after several months, officials said on Thursday.
The patient is a 54-year-old male who lives in Noida but works at a multinational company in Gurugram, Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer Dr Sunil Sharma said.
"His test sample has been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing. The result is awaited," Sharma said.
District Surveillance Officer and public healthcare expert Dr Amit Kumar said the patient travelled to Nepal earlier this month and also went to work at his Gurugram office after returning.
"The patient is asymptomatic and went for the COVID-19 test on his own," Kumar said, adding that this is the only confirmed case in Gautam Buddh Nagar so far.
Covid news LIVE updates: In response to the evolving situation of COVID cases in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao provided reassurance to the people and said that the risk factor is low adding that there are no restrictions at present.
"The virus does not have a severe impact on the health of people. The risk is low, so you need not panic, there are no restrictions now," the Health Minister asserted.
Minister Gundurao emphasized that there are currently no limitations on movement, stay, travel, or public functions.
However, he urged individuals aged 60 and above to exercise caution and wear masks in crowded places.
"We are looking into all the aspects. There is no such concern as of now. There is no restriction on movement, stay, travel or functions. People above 60 years of age should be cautious and wear masks in crowded places," he added.
Covid news LIVE updates: Two more Covid cases of the new sub-variant were reported in Rajasthan on Thursday, which took the tally of such cases in the state to four, prompting the health department to issue an advisory for the prevention and control of the infection.
The Rajasthan Health and Medical Department advised people to seek timely medical advice in case of mild cold, cough, fever, or sore throat.
According to an official statement, two Covid cases of the JN.1 sub-variant were reported in Jaisalmer on Wednesday.
Two more cases of the same Covid sub-variant were reported in Jaipur on Thursday. One of them is a native of Jhunjhunu and another hails from Bharatpur, the statement added.
Covid news LIVE updates: Karnataka on Thursday reported 24 fresh COVID-19 cases taking the cumulative figure since the outbreak of the virus to 40,89,174, the health department said. With the COVID recurring in some parts, the state government intensified tests.
Covid news LIVE updates: The JN.1 sub variant of COVID-19 was found in 19 samples that were tested over a period of time, but these are old cases and are no longer active, a top health official said on Thursday.
The first case of this variant was found in Kerala on December 8, after which the Centre urged states and union territories to maintain constant vigil, including monitoring and reporting district-wise cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) in all health facilities regularly for early detection.
"All the 19 cases of JN.1 sub variant traced in Goa are not active. They are old cases and have crossed the window period. This variant was found during genome sequencing of samples collected from patients," state epidemiologist Dr Prashant Suryavanshi told PTI.
Covid news LIVE updates: There is no plan so far to make RT-PCR testing for COVID-19 mandatory at airports for travellers, Union health ministry sources said on Thursday, amid an uptick in coronavirus infections in India.
Even though the number of cases is rising and the JN.1 sub-variant has been detected in the country, there is no cause of immediate concern as 92 per cent of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, indicating mild illness, they said.
There is also no increase in hospitalisation rates and COVID-19 is an incidental finding in people hospitalised due to other medical conditions.
IMA COVID Task Force Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that the new strain can be problematic for people of old age and those with multiple comorbidities.
"JN.1 is a fast-spreading variant, it could go into the next tier of the population, which is the vulnerable age group, older people and also people with multiple comorbidities. In such individuals, their underlying conditions can destabilise and could result in their hospitalisation and complications after that," the health expert said. He said a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases has been seen from November.
Dr Jayadevan said that, however, people, suffering from COVID-19, are not requiring the need to be hospitalised.
"Fortunately, most of these people are not requiring hospitalisation that's because most of the COVID cases are now occurring in the people who are travelling and who are well enough to go to work," he said.
"Many people confuse COVID for the common cold. It's very different, COVID-19 can affect the health of our blood vessels, especially if it comes again and again. So while we can get common colds again and again," he explained
The health expert also said that it's better to take precautions rather than getting COVID-19 infection.
"COVID-19 is best avoided, even if the initial symptoms are mild. The reported numbers will be an underestimate because very little testing is actually going on," he said.
The emergence of the JN.1 Covid variant and India reporting 21 cases is neither surprising nor particularly worrying, say scientists, allaying fears but also advising adherence to existing precautionary measures.
The announcement on Wednesday about the increasing numbers of the new sub-variant, detected in three states, came as the Union Health Ministry reported a spike in cases. On Thursday, the count was 594 new coronavirus infections, marginally lower than Wednesday's 614, which was the highest daily count since May 21.
As panic spread and Covid came under the spotlight again, experts stepped in to say there is no need to panic – available treatments are effective, the infection is mild and all viruses mutate.
“As it happens with most respiratory viruses, including the influenza viruses, the circulating viruses keep changing. Therefore, a sub-variant of SARS CoV-2 is not a surprise at all," Chandrakant Lahariya, a senior consultant physician and public health expert, told PTI.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is circulating in all settings, he said.
Covid news LIVE updates: Dr Soumya Swaminathan has advised precautions to avoid infection, "Avoid being in a very closed environment with very poor ventilation with toxic people without a mask. So do wear a mask if you're in that type of very close setting because prolonged exposure to somebody infected increases the risk of infection," she said while speaking to news agency ANI.
"Try to be in an open space rather than in most cases, have gatherings and now ventilated places today, entering into the season of gatherings," said Swaminathan.
"If you have some warning symptoms and signs like severe fatigue, prolonged fever or you're feeling breathless, visit the hospital," she said.
Amid the rising new JN.1 Covid-19 variant scare, former World Health Organisation (WHO) chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan asserted that there is no need to panic currently as it is a variant of interest and not of concern.
However, she urged people to be cautious by taking proper precautionary measures.
Speaking to ANI exclusively, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former DG, of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said, "We need to be cautious, but we don't need to worry because we don't have any data to suggest that this variant JN.1 is more severe or it's going to cause more pneumonia, more death."
"I think what we need to do is try to take the normal preventive measures that we are all now familiar with. We were familiar with Omicron, so it's the same family. So not much has changed, but 1 or 2 new mutations have come up. And that's why I think WHO has said let's keep a watch on it. It's a variant of interest. It's not a variant of concern," said the doctor.
