COVID-19 is turning heads again in India as several states are urging people to follow coronavirus protocols. Here are 10 latest updates.
Kerala leads in active Covid cases
As of December 25, there have been 69 cases of the JN.1 COVID subvariant in India, the Union Health Ministry reported. There are currently 4,170 active COVID cases in the country. Karnataka has 436 cases, Kerala 3,096, Maharashtra 168, Gujarat 56, and Tamil Nadu 139 cases.
Himachal issues advisory
After finding the COVID-19 variant JN.1 in Himachal Pradesh, health officials told chief medical officers to test people with coronavirus symptoms and be careful. They advised anyone with cold, fever or cough symptoms to get tested. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar from Una also recommended wearing masks. Doctors said people with flu, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache or fever should get an RT-PCR test right away.
34 cases of JN.1 variant in Karnataka
Karnataka’s Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao reported 34 cases of the JN.1 COVID-19 variant in the state. He said the situation is under control and not worrying. He recommended social distancing. Out of 430 active cases, most are in home isolation, with a few in hospitals and 7-8 in ICU. Most cases are in Bengaluru.
‘No need to panic’
Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has asked people not to worry. “No need to panic about Covid. Everything is fine now. Our health minister will update,” he said.
₹40,000-crore ‘Covid scam’
Basanagouda Patil Yatnal will reveal details about a “Covid scam” worth ₹40,000 crore if the party expels him, the BJP MLA has threatened. According to him, the Karnataka BJP government – led by B S Yediyurappa – “looted” thousands of crores during the COVID-19 peak.
Delhi’s Covid rate 1%
Delhi’s Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has said that Delhi’s Covid positivity rate is about 1%. He advised people not to panic but to be cautious during the winter festivals. He also mentioned that more genome sequencing of coronavirus-positive samples is being done.
COVID-19 case in Odisha
A new COVID-19 case was found in Khurda district, Odisha, as reported by a health official. This increased the state’s total to three cases The first two cases were in Cuttack district. All three people have mild symptoms and are being treated at home. They are in stable condition.
‘Wear masks,’ says Karnataka govt
The Karnataka government’s sub-committee on coronavirus has decided on several measures due to rising COVID cases and JN.1 infections. These include wearing masks, not sending symptomatic children to schools, following social distancing, and seven-day home isolation and leave for those infected.
Surveillance for diseases
Dr. Shekhar C Mande, former Director-General of CSIR, has emphasised the importance of monitoring not only COVID-19 but also other diseases in India. Speaking to ANI, he explained that surveillance helps track the spread of various infections, including antimicrobial resistance. He mentioned that surveillance, like analyzing wastewater, has been useful in detecting variants like JN.1 across the country.
JN.1 ‘variant of interest’: WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has labelled JN.1 as a ‘variant of interest’. It’s different from its related strain, BA.2.86. But they say the risk from JN.1 is still low right now.
(With agency inputs)
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Published: 27 Dec 2023, 07:57 AM IST