Admitting that India has registered a rise in the daily COVID-19 positivity rate in some States, including Kerala, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Karnataka, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday, while issuing an alert, said that no clustering of cases had been reported in the new JN.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
“The variant is currently under intense scientific scrutiny but not a cause of immediate concern. All JN.1 cases were found to be mild and all of them have recovered without any complications,” the Ministry said.
NITI Aayog Member (Health) V.K. Paul added that India has detected 21 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant JN.1 till now, and about 91%-92% of those infected are opting for home-based treatment. “Nineteen cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been traced in Goa, and one each in Kerala and Maharashtra. Over the past two weeks, 16 deaths related to COVID-19 were recorded, with many of the deceased having serious comorbidities,” Dr. Paul added.
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In the last two weeks, active COVID-19 cases in India, though less when compared with the global scenario, have seen a steep rise from 115 on December 6 to 614 on date. Ministry data notes that 92.8% of the cases were home isolated, indicating mild illness.
“No increase in hospitalisation rates has been witnessed due to COVID-19. The cases that are hospitalised are due to other medical conditions — COVID-19 is an incidental finding,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, following a virtual high-level COVID-19 review meeting with State Health Ministers.
The Union Health Ministry’s alert comes close on the heels of the World Health Organization (WHO) classifying the variant JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) from the parent lineage BA.2.86 in view of its rapidly increasing spread. It was previously classified as a VOI that was part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages.
“Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low. Despite this, with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries,” the WHO said.
It added that current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The WHO said that it is continuously monitoring evidence and will update the JN.1 risk evaluation as needed.
The Health Ministry on Wednesday directed strengthening of the surveillance system for whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network, and ensure timely detection of newer variants circulating in the country. “This would facilitate undertaking of appropriate public health measures in a timely manner,” Dr. Mandaviya said.
States have been requested to ramp up testing and refer large numbers of samples of COVID-19 positive cases and pneumonia-like illness to the INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories on a daily basis, for sequencing, and to track new variants, if any.
The Health Minister urged all the States to remain alert, increase surveillance, and ensure adequate stock of medicines, oxygen cylinders, and concentrators, ventilators and vaccines. States have been directed to undertake mock drills every three months to assess the functionality of PSA (pressure swing adsorption) plants, oxygen concentrators and cylinders, ventilators, etc., and encouraged the sharing of best practices.
The Ministry underlined the challenges posed by the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in some countries across the world, including China, Brazil, Germany and the United States, and noted that it was important to be prepared for new and emerging strains of COVID-19, especially in view of the upcoming festive season.
Reiterating that the COVID-19 issue is not over yet, the Ministry has requested States to monitor emerging evidence of COVID-19 cases, symptoms, and case severity, to plan appropriate public health responses.
“States should also create awareness on respiratory hygiene, ensure dissemination of factually correct information, and counter fake news to manage information and mitigate any panic. States should share information on cases, tests, positivity, etc., in real time, on the COVID portal, to enable timely monitoring and prompt public health measures,” Dr. Mandaviya said.
India has recorded 614 new coronavirus infections, the highest since May 21, while active cases stands at 2,311, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll was recorded at 533,321, with three deaths reported from Kerala in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.
The country’s COVID-19 case tally is 45 million (45,005,978). The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 44,470,346, and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81%, according to the Health Ministry’s website.
