The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) reported on Saturday that the nation has documented 1,200 cases of the new Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1. Nagaland is the latest addition to the 17 states and Union Territories reporting the presence of this new variant. Health authorities have heightened alertness in recent weeks due to a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases attributed to the new sub-variant.
According to data compiled by INSACOG, Karnataka leads with the highest number of JN.1 cases at 215, followed by Andhra Pradesh (189), Maharashtra (170), Kerala (154), West Bengal (96), Goa (90), Tamil Nadu (88), and Gujarat (76), as reported by news agency PTI.
Telangana and Rajasthan reported 32 JN.1 cases each, Chhattisgarh recorded 25, Delhi (16), Uttar Pradesh (7), Haryana (5), Odisha (3), and Uttarakhand and Nagaland reported 1 each, according to the PTI report.
The Union Health Ministry has directed states and Union Territories to closely monitor the virus and take appropriate measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. States have been instructed to consistently monitor and document cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) at the district level across all healthcare facilities to promptly identify an upward trajectory in Covid cases.
While several nations, including India, have witnessed a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases due to the faster-spreading JN.1 sub-variant, health authorities reassure the public not to panic, emphasizing that the sub-variant is low in severity. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated JN.1 as a “variant of concern” but clarified that it poses a “low” risk to public health.
Health experts emphasize that there is no need to be “unnecessarily alarmed” about sub-variants of the Covid-19 virus, as it is expected to persist among humans in various forms. INSACOG has also identified more than 400 sub-variants of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Exciting news! Storify News is now on WhatsApp Channels. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news! Click here!
Disclaimer: (This story, title and image has not been edited by StorifyNews.com staff and is published content form other source).