As cases of the new Omicron sub-variant JN.1 continue to rise globally, including in India, there is a fear among many about a possible Covid wave early next year that may derail normalcy once again. Are these fears real?
India recorded 743 fresh cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours (as of Saturday). The total active caseload increased by seven, reaching 3,997, according to the Union Health Ministry.
A total of 162 JN.1 cases have been reported in India to date, with Kerala reporting the highest number at 83.
With this, the total count of coronavirus cases in India since its outbreak in January 2020 has reached 4,50,12,484. The death toll due to COVID-19 cases in India has risen to 5,33,358, reflecting seven deaths in the last 24 hours.
Globally, cases of JN.1 have been reported from the US, some European countries, Singapore and China.
Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 Technical Lead at WHO, said on Saturday that from a limited number of countries reporting, there has been a 35 per cent increase in Covid-19 hospitalisations and ICU admissions in the last month.
āSARS-CoV-2, influenza and other respiratory pathogens continue to be on the rise. Take measures to protect yourself from infection,ā she advised.
Kerkhove said that JN.1 continues to rise in detection, but what matters is that Covid-19 is circulating in all countries.
āYou can protect yourself from infection and severe disease. Mask, ventilate, test, treat, vaccinate: boost every 6-12 months depending on your risk group,ā she posted on X.
According to Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former DG, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) the JN.1 Covid-19 variant is more transmissible and infectious as compared to other variants.