Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases in many countries including India, the Centre issued an advisory to states to monitor and keep a vigil on the emerging situation.
After Kerala, which detected India’s first case of the JN.1 subvariant, states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka announced various steps to tackle the fresh outbreak. Karnataka has also made it mandatory for people over 60 and those with comorbidities to wear masks. This was after Kerala saw a jump in Covid-19 cases.
In an advisory, the Union Health Ministry said, “As the COVID-19 virus continues to circulate and its epidemiology behaviour gets settled in Indian weather conditions and circulation of other usual pathogens, it is of utmost importance that we maintain a state of constant vigil over the Covid situation, right up to the district levels.”
In a letter to states/UTs, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant highlighted the need for constant vigil over the COVID situation in the country.
He underlined that “due to consistent and collaborative actions between Centre and State Governments, we have been able to sustain the trajectory at sustainable low rates.”
He also said that a few states/UTs like Kerala have reported a slight upsurge in COVId cases.
On Monday, India’s COVID-19 active caseload rose to 1,828, while one death was recorded in Kerala, where the JN.1 subvariant has been detected in a woman, the first in the country.
The health ministry also said it is unknown whether the JN.1 infection produces different symptoms from other COVID-19 variants. In general, symptoms of Covid-19 tend to be similar across variants.
ALSO READ | Kerala Health Minister refutes allegations of inaction amid rising COVID-19 cases
“There is no indication of increased severity from JN.1. At this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) also said that the virus is evolving and changing and urged member states to continue with solid surveillance and sequence sharing.
The global health body also shared a video of its COVID-19 technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, who explained the reason for the recent surges and what precautions can be taken.
Taking to social media, she said that several pathogens have led to the rise in respiratory diseases worldwide.
“Respiratory diseases are increasing worldwide due to a number of pathogens incl #COVID19, #flu, rhinovirus, mycoplasma pneumonia & othersSARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve. JN.1 (subvariant of BA.2.86) is already a VOI and continues to increase in circulation,” she stated.
ALSO READ | Congress slams CM Pinarayi Vijayan as Kerala turns into India’s ‘Covid capital’
She also said in the video that the recent surge in respiratory infections is due to multiple reasons, including increased gatherings during the holiday season and other infections.
“It’s not just COVID-19 that’s circulating; we have influenza, other viruses, and bacteria. In other parts of the world, we are entering the winter months, and people are starting to gather for the holiday season. And as people gather, they spend more time indoors, especially with poor ventilation. These pathogens that spread efficiently between people and through the air will take advantage,” she said.
She further explained that the rise in COVID cases is because the virus is evolving, adding that 68 per cent of the current cases are cases of XBB sublineages and other groupings like JN.1.
“Covid-19 is one of the diseases that are currently on the rise, and this is again due to a number of factors; the virus SARS-Cov-2 is evolving, changing, and circulating in all countries,” Kerkhove said.
“In some countries, we have these XBB sublineages, representing around 68 per cent or so of the sequences that are shared globally. The other grouping is BA.2.86, most notably JN.1, which causes the full spectrum, everything from asymptomatic infection. To severe disease and death, similar to what we have seen with other Omicron sublineages,” she added.
The WHO expert urged the member states to continue with solid surveillance and sequence sharing so that proper steps can be taken to “potentially modify” the advice for the world. Follow channel on WhatsApp
NEW DELHI: Amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases in many countries including India, the Centre issued an advisory to states to monitor and keep a vigil on the emerging situation.
After Kerala, which detected India’s first case of the JN.1 subvariant, states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka announced various steps to tackle the fresh outbreak. Karnataka has also made it mandatory for people over 60 and those with comorbidities to wear masks. This was after Kerala saw a jump in Covid-19 cases.
In an advisory, the Union Health Ministry said, “As the COVID-19 virus continues to circulate and its epidemiology behaviour gets settled in Indian weather conditions and circulation of other usual pathogens, it is of utmost importance that we maintain a state of constant vigil over the Covid situation, right up to the district levels.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
In a letter to states/UTs, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant highlighted the need for constant vigil over the COVID situation in the country.
He underlined that “due to consistent and collaborative actions between Centre and State Governments, we have been able to sustain the trajectory at sustainable low rates.”
He also said that a few states/UTs like Kerala have reported a slight upsurge in COVId cases.
On Monday, India’s COVID-19 active caseload rose to 1,828, while one death was recorded in Kerala, where the JN.1 subvariant has been detected in a woman, the first in the country.
The health ministry also said it is unknown whether the JN.1 infection produces different symptoms from other COVID-19 variants. In general, symptoms of Covid-19 tend to be similar across variants.
ALSO READ | Kerala Health Minister refutes allegations of inaction amid rising COVID-19 cases
“There is no indication of increased severity from JN.1. At this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) also said that the virus is evolving and changing and urged member states to continue with solid surveillance and sequence sharing.
The global health body also shared a video of its COVID-19 technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, who explained the reason for the recent surges and what precautions can be taken.
Taking to social media, she said that several pathogens have led to the rise in respiratory diseases worldwide.
“Respiratory diseases are increasing worldwide due to a number of pathogens incl #COVID19, #flu, rhinovirus, mycoplasma pneumonia & othersSARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve. JN.1 (subvariant of BA.2.86) is already a VOI and continues to increase in circulation,” she stated.
ALSO READ | Congress slams CM Pinarayi Vijayan as Kerala turns into India’s ‘Covid capital’
She also said in the video that the recent surge in respiratory infections is due to multiple reasons, including increased gatherings during the holiday season and other infections.
“It’s not just COVID-19 that’s circulating; we have influenza, other viruses, and bacteria. In other parts of the world, we are entering the winter months, and people are starting to gather for the holiday season. And as people gather, they spend more time indoors, especially with poor ventilation. These pathogens that spread efficiently between people and through the air will take advantage,” she said.
She further explained that the rise in COVID cases is because the virus is evolving, adding that 68 per cent of the current cases are cases of XBB sublineages and other groupings like JN.1.
“Covid-19 is one of the diseases that are currently on the rise, and this is again due to a number of factors; the virus SARS-Cov-2 is evolving, changing, and circulating in all countries,” Kerkhove said.
“In some countries, we have these XBB sublineages, representing around 68 per cent or so of the sequences that are shared globally. The other grouping is BA.2.86, most notably JN.1, which causes the full spectrum, everything from asymptomatic infection. To severe disease and death, similar to what we have seen with other Omicron sublineages,” she added.
The WHO expert urged the member states to continue with solid surveillance and sequence sharing so that proper steps can be taken to “potentially modify” the advice for the world. Follow channel on WhatsApp
