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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
COVID news LIVE: A new sub-variant JN.1, is driving the surge in the number of cases of Covid-19 virus in the world including India. The rise in the number of infections has prompted the health authorities to check the preparedness of the health system and issue preventive measures for people in critical age groups. Amid some anxiety over the new variant, the India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora has confirmed that no additional dose of vaccine is needed for the new variant. Read More
COVID news LIVE: "Symptoms are very similar on the basis that one cannot differentiate JN.1 from other subvariants of Omicron like fever, nasal discharge and cough. There can be occasional diarrhoea and severe body aches, and usually they recover in two to five days," the doctor outlined.
"Within India, from October last week till now in last 8 weeks, we have seen 22 cases. There is no evidence that it is spreading very rapidly. JN.1 is less than 1 per cent of all the isolates so far. Recently, the number of cases has certainly increased, and the testing has also picked up," he said.
COVID news LIVE: Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in India and the detection of a subvariant JN.1, India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora said that no additional dose of vaccine is needed against the subvariant at present.
Speaking to ANI about the current situation in the country, Dr Arora said, "I would say prevention is required for all those who are 60 years of age or older, who are likely to have comorbidities and those who are on drugs that suppress our immunity, like cancer patients. If they have not taken precaution so far, then they are advised to take precaution; otherwise, there is no need for any additional doses."
COVID news LIVE: 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
COVID news LIVE: India has recorded 22 cases of the COVID-19 JN.1 variant over the past few days. The development came even as the World Health Organization deemed the new strain a ‘Variant of Concern’ and several states held review meetings to assess the situation.
According to an ANI report quoting sources, the country has reported 22 cases till December 21. India reported 594 fresh COVID-19 infections on Thursday - taking the number of active cases from 2,311 the previous day to 2,669. Health Ministry data on Friday morning indicates 2997 active cases — with a surge reported from Kerala. Read More
COVID news LIVE: Professor Gyaneshwar Chaubey from the Department of Zoology at BHU expressed the opinion that the newly identified Covid-19 variant, JN.1, is unlikely to significantly impact a large portion of the Indian population. This is attributed to the fact that over 90% of the population in India has previously experienced a Covid-19 infection at some point.
COVID news LIVE: Following the discovery of instances of a novel strain of the Coronavirus in several states, including Kerala, heightened measures, including the reinforcement of isolation wards, have been implemented at the Government hospital of Doon Medical College in Uttarakhand.
As of now, the state has a total of 5893 isolation beds equipped with oxygen support, and over 3100 well-trained paramedical staff are on standby.
Assuring the public, Anurag Aggarwal, the Nodal Officer of Doon Medical College and Covid-19, emphasized that there is no cause for panic based on the guidelines provided in the advisory.
COVID news LIVE: The Mizoram government on Saturday appealed to the people of the state to adhere to COVID-appropriate behaviour during the upcoming Christmas-New Year festive season in view of an increase in JN.1 sub-variant cases in some parts of the country.
Health Minister Lalrinpuii said that although no case of the JN.1 sub-variant has been reported in the northeastern state and there is nothing to panic about, adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour by every individual is of utmost importance. (PTI)
COVID news LIVE: With the entry of the new Covid variant JN.1 in the country, Pune-based Serum Institute of India may soon be selling vaccines to prevent another surge of the pandemic. The world's largest vaccine-making company, Serum Institute is reportedly applying for license of the vaccine against the JN.1 Covid variant. Read More
COVID news LIVE: A multifold spurt in fresh Covid cases was noted in India over the past 24 hours, with Kerala contributing the major chunk of those.
A total of 423 cases were reported and of which 266 were from Kerala and 70 from neighbouring Karnataka, Union health ministry data showed.
Two deaths were reported in Kerala.
The total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country was recorded at 3,420. (ANI)
COVID news LIVE: The latest wave of COVID-19 cases in Singapore has possibly peaked, and there is no need for additional measures, like wearing a face mask mandate, to be implemented, said Minister for Health (MOH) Ong Ye Kung.
“We might have a slight surge, but I think more or less, we are seeing the peak of this wave," Channel News Asia quoted Ong as saying on Friday at the soft opening of a health campus at Woodlands in northern Singapore.
COVID news LIVE: The number of new COVID cases increased by 52 per cent during the past four-odd weeks, the WHO said, with over 850 000 new cases reported during the period.
The number of new deaths decreased by 8 per cent as compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 3,000 new fatalities reported, World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest press release.
As of December 17, over 772 million confirmed cases and nearly seven million deaths have been reported globally since the onset of COVID-19, the WHO noted.
Further, the WHO said over 118,000 new COVID-19 hospitalisations and over 1600 new intensive care unit (ICU) admissions have been recorded, with an overall increase of 23 per cent and 51 per cent, respectively, globally. (ANI)
COVID news LIVE: After a surge in the cases of the new COVID subvariant JN.1, doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have advised people to not panic but rather remain alert and vigilant.
"People are getting infected by the new sub-variant of COVID-JN.1 in many states of the country. The symptoms of the patients are mild. Therefore, there is no need to panic but the need to remain alert," doctor Neeraj Nischal said.
Doctor Nischal, who is an Additional Professor in the Department of Medicine at AIIMS Delhi, said, "We have been saying this type of ripple will keep on happening. Even during the first and second waves, we predicted that this virus would mutate further and the stage would come where it would become more infectious but at the same time cause less mortality or morbidity." (ANI)
COVID news LIVE: 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.
COVID news LIVE: "The Union Health Minister had recently reviewed the COVID-19 situation with all the states. Some states like Kerala have been put on alert as new cases are being detected there. We are doing tests in Assam also, but no person without any travel history has tested positive for the coronavirus," Mahanta told reporters.
COVID news LIVE: Jharkhand is prepared to deal with any spurt in COVID-19 cases, although the situation is presently under control, a health official said on Saturday.
No fresh coronavirus cases have been reported in the state since December 18, when two infections were detected in a Jamshedpur hospital, the official said.
"In view of a rising number of coronavirus cases in some states, the Jharkhand health department has already conducted mock drills of functioning of oxygen plants and reviewed the number of beds available with oxygen support, non-oxygen support and those in the ICU as per directions of the Centre," Alok Trivedi, National Health Mission (NHM) Director in the state, told PTI.
COVID news LIVE: The Assam Health Department has directed all hospitals in the state to make arrangements to fight against COVID after the detection of many cases of the new COVID subvariant JN.1.
Assam Health Minister Keshab Mahanta told ANI that "we are fully prepared to fight against COVID. We have directed all hospitals to make preparedness and arrangements to fight against COVID."
"After the meeting with the Union Health Minister, we alerted all hospitals. We have completed the preparations for the treatment of the COVID patient. Now we are 100 per cent prepared to fight COVID. One patient who came from abroad was detected as COVID-positive. Our government has given all support to the patient free of charge, and we have put the patient under observation," Keshab Mahanta said. (ANI)
COVID news LIVE: The new strain of coronavirus may peak in the next two months as in the case of the previous Omicron wave, a top government scientist said, as the country keeps a wary eye on the spreading infection that has claimed six lives so far.
There is no clear information to state that JN.1 is causing hospitalization and deaths, said Raman Gangakhedkar, senior epidemiologist and a member of the government’s covid-19 task force. Read More
COVID news LIVE: India has recorded 22 cases of the COVID-19 JN.1 variant over the past few days. The development came even as the World Health Organization deemed the new strain a ‘Variant of Concern’ and several states held review meetings to assess the situation.
According to an ANI report quoting sources, the country has reported 22 cases till December 21. India reported 594 fresh COVID-19 infections on Thursday - taking the number of active cases from 2,311 the previous day to 2,669. Health Ministry data on Friday morning indicates 2997 active cases — with a surge reported from Kerala. Read More
COVID news LIVE: Amid an uptick in Covid-19 cases across the globe, the World Health Organisation has decided to classify the JN.1 Covid variant as the "variant of interest." The world health body, however, clarified that the JN.1 variant of the Covid-19 virus does not pose much threat to public health.
"Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low," WHO said.
Look for flu and COVID-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.
High levels of flu-like illnesses were reported last week in 17 states — up from 14 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
“Folks are traveling a lot more this season. They want to see their families," said the CDC's Dr. Manisha Patel. "And all of that sort of adds to the mix" in the spread of viruses.
COVID news LIVE: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Friday reacted to the new COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 and said that there is "nothing to worry" about and everything is "under control."
"There is nothing to worry about. We have found a slight increase in the number of COVID cases. A state-level meeting and a ministerial-level meeting were held. We decided to start genomic sequencing back in November," the Kerala Health Minister told reporters.
She further said that the number of tests in Kerala is high when compared to other states adding that the situation is totally under control.COVID news LIVE:
COVID news LIVE: Indicators of neurological damage resulting from COVID-19 persisted in patients for an extended period, even after the infection had subsided and conventional blood tests indicated normal levels of inflammation, as per recent research. Scientists from UK universities elucidated that during the initial phase of the viral infection, characterized by the rapid onset of symptoms, crucial inflammatory proteins and markers of brain injury are generated. The study encompassed the examination of samples from more than 800 hospitalized patients spanning various regions in England and Wales.
COVID news LIVE: India saw a single-day rise of 752 coronavirus infections, the highest since May 21, 2023, while the active cases have increased to 3,420, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday.
The death toll was recorded at 5,33,332 with four new deaths -- two from Kerala, one each in Rajasthan and Karnataka -- reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The country's Covid case tally stood at 4.50 crore (4,50,07,964).
The number of people recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,71,212, and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry's website. The fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent.
COVID news LIVE: With the onset of winter, we witness the emergence of a new COVID variant like every year which is fueling a sudden spike in cases.
As of December 21, India reported 22 cases of the JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19. However, no clustering of cases has been observed, and all instances of the subvariant exhibit mild symptoms. But are all the symptoms the same as before or are we noticing a few new symptoms too? Read More
COVID news LIVE: The number of new COVID cases increased by 52 per cent during the past four-odd weeks, the WHO said, with over 850 000 new cases reported during the period.
The number of new deaths decreased by 8 per cent as compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 3,000 new fatalities reported, World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest press release. (ANI)
COVID news LIVE: Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, Puducherry, Gujarat, Telangana, Punjab, and Delhi, have witnessed a rise in reported cases of Covid-19.
COVID news LIVE: On Friday, the new COVID-19 cases in Karnataka experienced a notable increase, escalating by more than 225%, reaching a total of 78 cases, as opposed to the 24 cases recorded the preceding day. Additionally, the state documented an additional fatality, contributing to a cumulative death toll of 40,321.
COVID news LIVE: As per government, approximately 93% of individuals affected exhibit mild symptoms, opting for self-isolation at their residences. In the context of medical care distributed across diverse healthcare facilities nationwide, a mere 0.1% necessitate ventilator assistance, 1.2% are admitted to intensive care units (ICUs), and 0.6% rely on oxygen support.
Six new cases of Covid infection and one related death were reported in Rajasthan on Friday, the state medical and health department said.
One patient died in Dausa due to Covid infection on Friday, a statement issued here said.
The Gurugram health department has swung into action after a second case of Covid was confirmed here on Friday, officials said.
All adequate arrangements have been made by the health department to check the spread of the disease, they said.
"The situation in the district regarding Covid is under control. All adequate arrangements have been made by the health department," said Dr Virendra Yadav, Civil Surgeon, Gurugram.
With the onset of winter, we witness the emergence of a new COVID variant like every year which is fueling a sudden spike in cases.
The number of new COVID cases increased by 52 per cent during the past four-odd weeks, the WHO said, with over 850 000 new cases reported during the period.
The number of new deaths decreased by 8 per cent as compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 3,000 new fatalities reported, World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest press release.
COVID news LIVE: The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the number of new COVID cases increased by 52 per cent during the past four-odd weeks, with over 850,000 new cases reported during the period. Read more here
A multifold spurt in fresh Covid cases was noted in India over the past 24 hours, with Kerala contributing the major chunk of those. A total of 423 cases were reported and of which 266 were from Kerala and 70 from neighbouring Karnataka, Union health ministry data showed. Two deaths were reported in Kerala. The total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country was recorded at 3,420.
With the onset of winter, we witness the emergence of a new COVID variant like every year which is fueling a sudden spike in cases. As of December 21, India reported 22 cases of the JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19. However, no clustering of cases has been observed, and all instances of the subvariant exhibit mild symptoms. But are all the symptoms the same as before or are we noticing a few new symptoms too? Read more here
Bihar government directs all districts and hospitals in the state to increase COVID-19 RT-PCR testing with random testing of arrivals at Patna, Gaya and Darbhanga airports
COVID news LIVE: India saw a single-day rise of 752 coronavirus infections, the highest since May 21, 2023, while the active cases have increased to 3,420, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday.
The death toll was recorded at 5,33,332 with four new deaths -- two from Kerala, one each in Rajasthan and Karnataka -- reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The country's Covid case tally stood at 4.50 crore (4,50,07,964).
The number of people recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,71,212, and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry's website. The fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent.
COVID news LIVE: The number of new COVID cases increased by 52 per cent during the past four-odd weeks, the WHO said, with over 850 000 new cases reported during the perio
The number of new deaths decreased by 8 per cent as compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 3,000 new fatalities reported, World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest press release
COVID news LIVE: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Friday reacted to the new COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 and said that there is "nothing to worry" about and everything is "under control."
"There is nothing to worry about. We have found a slight increase in the number of COVID cases. A state-level meeting and a ministerial-level meeting were held. We decided to start genomic sequencing back in November," the Kerala Health Minister told reporters.
She further said that the number of tests in Kerala is high when compared to other states adding that the situation is totally under control.
COVID news LIVE: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Friday said it is the responsibility of the state government to promptly provide sophisticated medical facilities to each of its resident.
To achieve that, it is necessary that the healthcare workers discharge their duties responsibly and treat everyone with sensitivity, he said.
Sharma made the remarks addressing a review meeting of the Medical and Health Department at his office.
The situation on Covid-19 in the state was also discussed in the meeting.
COVID news LIVE: The latest wave of COVID-19 cases in Singapore has possibly peaked, and there is no need for additional measures, like wearing a face mask mandate, to be implemented, said Minister for Health (MOH) Ong Ye Kung.
“We might have a slight surge, but I think more or less, we are seeing the peak of this wave," Channel News Asia quoted Ong as saying on Friday at the soft opening of a health campus at Woodlands in northern Singapore.
However, having about 600 to 700 hospital beds taken up by COVID-19 patients is quite a strain on the system, the minister noted.
“We are a 10,000 bed-strong system. To take up 600 or 700 beds, it's six-seven per cent, which is not small. It's a significant workload on our healthcare workers and our system."
COVID news LIVE: Look for flu and COVID-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.
High levels of flu-like illnesses were reported last week in 17 states — up from 14 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
“Folks are traveling a lot more this season. They want to see their families," said the CDC's Dr. Manisha Patel. "And all of that sort of adds to the mix" in the spread of viruses.
Health officials are keeping an eye on a version of the ever-evolving coronavirus, known as JN.1. The omicron variant was first detected in the U.S. in September and now accounts for an estimated 20% of cases. The CDC expects it to reach 50% in the next two weeks, Patel said.
It may spread easier or be better at evading our immune systems, but there is no evidence that the strain causes more severe disease than other recent variants, health officials say. And current evidence indicates vaccines and antiviral medications work against it.
COVID news LIVE: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday that COVID subvariant JN.1 accounts for 39% to 50% of cases in the United States as of Dec. 23, according to the agency's projections.
This is an increase from the estimated 15% to 29% of cases in the United States, the CDC had projected as of Dec. 8.
The CDC said the variant continues to cause an increasing share of infections and is now the most widely circulating variant in the country.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar chaired a high-level meeting on Friday in view of the recent spurt in COVID-19 cases in several parts of the country. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who holds the health portfolio, and top government officials.
Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Pratyay Amrit said two cases of the JN.1 variant have so far been detected in the state.
Six new cases of Covid infection and one related death were reported in Rajasthan on Friday. Data from the , the state medical and health department indicates that one patient died in Dausa due to Covid infection during the day.
The Rajasthan health department has formed a state-level team for prevention and control of COVID-19. The order to form such a group was issued by Additional Chief Secretary of Medical and Health Department Shubhra Singh on Friday evening.
Singh said the team is being formed in view of the rise in number of Covid infections in other states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Medical Education Commissioner Shivprasad Nakate has been appointed as the nodal officer of the 'State Covid Management Committee'
The student has been quarantined at her home. Medical teams have also collected the samples from her 10 family members who had come in contact with her.
"A total of 22 JN.1 COVID variant cases have been reported in India till December 21. No clustering of COVID-19 reported so far, all cases have mild symptoms," ANI quoted official sources as saying.
