On Monday, India saw a rise in its active COVID-19 caseload, reaching 1,828, with one reported death in Kerala, the state where the Covid sub-variant JN.1 was recently identified. The number of individuals recovering from the infection has now reached 4.46 crore (4,44,69,931), contributing to a robust national recovery rate of 98.81 percent, as reported by the Union Health Ministry.
The toll from Covid-19 has reached 5,33,317, with a case fatality rate of 1.19 percent. The country has administered 220.67 crore doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, as per the ministry’s website. On Sunday, India reported 335 new Covid-19 infections, leading to an increase in active cases to 1,701, according to the Health Ministry. Five deaths were reported — four alone in Kerala and one in Uttar Pradesh, the Health Ministry data showed.
COVID SUB-VARIANT JN.1 IN KERALA
A new type of COVID-19 variant called JN.1 has been found in a 79-year-old woman from Kerala. This discovery was part of a regular check by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), as mentioned by Dr. Rajiv Bahl, the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday. The positive sample was from Karakulam in Thiruvananthapuram district and was confirmed on December 8, although the initial RT-PCR test had been done on November 18. The elderly woman experienced mild flu-like symptoms but has now recovered from COVID-19.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George reassured on Sunday that the Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 is not a cause for worry. She explained that it’s a sub-variant that was previously identified in a few Indians screened at the Singapore airport some months ago. Kerala has now detected it through genome sequencing. Minister George emphasized that there’s no need for panic, and the situation is being closely watched. Despite this, she advised people to stay cautious, especially those with existing health conditions.