The Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on Saturday reviewed the matter regarding the rise in COVID-19 cases mainly in from states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka, ANI reported citing sources.
It was observed that most cases are mild and patients are under home care. The Union Health Ministry is vigilant and, through its multiple agencies, is proactively monitoring the situation closely.
New variants of COVID-19 reported
India has reported isolated cases of two emerging COVID-19 subvariants—NB.1.8.1 and LF.7—at a time when these strains are believed to be contributing to a spike in infections across China and parts of Asia.
According to recent data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), one case of NB.1.8.1 was detected in Tamil Nadu in April, while four cases of LF.7 surfaced in Gujarat this May.
At the national level, the JN.1 subvariant remains dominant, appearing in more than half of the genome samples sequenced (53%). BA.2 accounts for around 26%, with other Omicron offshoots making up the remaining 20%.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) currently categorizes both variants as "Variants Under Monitoring"—meaning they are being tracked but are not yet classified as more dangerous "Variants of Interest" or "Variants of Concern"—experts are watching their progression closely. These subvariants are not known to be widespread in India yet, but their presence coincides with a gradual rise in COVID cases in several parts of the country.
While WHO’s initial risk assessment suggests that NB.1.8.1 poses a low global threat, it does carry several notable mutations—such as A435S, V445H, and T478I—linked to faster transmission and potential resistance to existing immunity.
Despite the overall low caseload, India has recorded scattered increases. Delhi registered 23 new infections, Andhra Pradesh added four in the last day, Telangana reported one case, and a nine-month-old child in Bengaluru tested positive as local cases slowly tick upwards. Kerala, in particular, has seen a noticeable uptick with 273 reported cases in May alone.
As of May 19, India had 257 active COVID cases.
In response to the evolving situation, top officials including the Director General of Health Services recently held a review meeting with experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and other key health bodies. The discussion focused on readiness and early response strategies.
It was observed that most cases are mild and patients are under home care. The Union Health Ministry is vigilant and, through its multiple agencies, is proactively monitoring the situation closely.
New variants of COVID-19 reported
India has reported isolated cases of two emerging COVID-19 subvariants—NB.1.8.1 and LF.7—at a time when these strains are believed to be contributing to a spike in infections across China and parts of Asia.
According to recent data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), one case of NB.1.8.1 was detected in Tamil Nadu in April, while four cases of LF.7 surfaced in Gujarat this May.
At the national level, the JN.1 subvariant remains dominant, appearing in more than half of the genome samples sequenced (53%). BA.2 accounts for around 26%, with other Omicron offshoots making up the remaining 20%.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) currently categorizes both variants as "Variants Under Monitoring"—meaning they are being tracked but are not yet classified as more dangerous "Variants of Interest" or "Variants of Concern"—experts are watching their progression closely. These subvariants are not known to be widespread in India yet, but their presence coincides with a gradual rise in COVID cases in several parts of the country.
While WHO’s initial risk assessment suggests that NB.1.8.1 poses a low global threat, it does carry several notable mutations—such as A435S, V445H, and T478I—linked to faster transmission and potential resistance to existing immunity.
Despite the overall low caseload, India has recorded scattered increases. Delhi registered 23 new infections, Andhra Pradesh added four in the last day, Telangana reported one case, and a nine-month-old child in Bengaluru tested positive as local cases slowly tick upwards. Kerala, in particular, has seen a noticeable uptick with 273 reported cases in May alone.
As of May 19, India had 257 active COVID cases.
In response to the evolving situation, top officials including the Director General of Health Services recently held a review meeting with experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and other key health bodies. The discussion focused on readiness and early response strategies.
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