On Thursday, 2669 active cases were reported in a 24-hour period due to reports of the JN.1 Covid variant arriving in India. Kerala, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Karnataka have seen an increase in Covid cases, according to the Union Health Ministry. India has reported 21 cases of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 thus far, according to NITI Aayog member (health) Dr. V K Paul on Wednesday.
JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) is a variant of the coronavirus that descended from the BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola) and first appeared in late 2023.
Here are 10 updates on JN.1 Covid variant:
- Two Covid-19-related deaths have been reported in Karnataka on Wednesday. It is unclear if the death was due to the new subvariant JN.1.
- In a meeting with department representatives yesterday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reaffirmed that the COVID pandemic was still ongoing and urged the states to continue tracking new cases, symptoms, and case severity in order to prepare for the necessary public health response.
- In light of the rising trend of Covid cases nationwide, hospitals are on high alert. Head of Safdarjung Hospital’s Pulmonary Medicine Department, Dr. Rohit Kumar, stated, “We are on high alert, conducting COVID tests, and sending samples for genome sequencing.”
- The Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra has reported a 41-year-old individual testing positive for the new Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1. Regarding the patient, no other information was available.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Kerala reported 300 new Covid-19 cases that were active on December 20 and 3 deaths. - In compliance with national guidelines, the West Bengal Health Department will keep track of cases of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI).
- Haryana government said RT-PCR tests will be conducted for Influenza-like Illnesses and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections.
- Delhi government is also on alert amid the entry of new Covid variant in the country. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said oxygen cylinders, ventilator beds, and other requirements are being “reviewed again”.
- The Karnataka government has issued an advisory asking people above 60 years, those with comorbidities, pregnant women, and lactating mothers, to wear face masks when outdoors, and to strictly avoid visiting closed, poorly ventilated spaces and crowded areas.
- Gujarat currently has 13 active coronavirus cases, but all the patients are under home isolation. The Gujarat government has advised people to remain vigilant and not panic. Gujarat government authorities carried out a mock drill across more than 5,700 hospitals to assess their preparedness to deal with any health exigency in view of JN.1 subvariant.
- Goa has reported 19 active Covid cases but all patients have mild symptoms of the infectious disease.
- Odisha hasn’t reported any Covid cases over the past week. However, the state government has advised senior citizens to remain cautious.
- In Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, two fresh cases of coronavirus were reported yesterday.
- 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.
- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is working on genome sequencing of the new JN.1 variant.
About JN.1 Covid variant:
The JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) variant, which is a derivative of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola), first appeared in late 2023.
The August 2023-discovered BA.2.86 lineage differs phylogenetically from the circulating SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB lineages, such as EG.5.1 and HK.3.
The spike (5) protein has over 30 mutations in BA.2.86, suggesting a high potential for immune evasion. In late July 2023, JN.1 was first discovered in Denmark and Israel.
Read More
Covid-19 Cases Double in Karnataka: 79 New Cases; Caution Urged
