Covid-19 JN.1 Variant News Live Updates: India’s active cases rise to 3,742, WHO asks to strengthen surveillance

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: “Every week you hear something new coming up in different parts and then it spreads all over India. We have identified a large number of subvariants, over 400 subvariants, or mutations of this virus, and fortunately, none of these Omicron variants have really been associated with more severe disease or hospitalisation,” Dr NK Arora told ANI.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The count of currently active Covid cases in Gurugram district has risen to four, following the identification of two new instances of the infection, as reported by the health department on Saturday. According to District Surveillance Officer Dr. Jai Prakash Rajliwal, a 36-year-old man who recently returned from Indonesia underwent a Covid test due to symptoms like a sore throat, cold, and cough, revealing that he is infected. 

Additionally, a 32-year-old woman tested positive for Covid, but the health department could not trace any travel history for her, he further stated.

 Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries in South-East Asia to strengthen surveillance in view of the increasing cases of respiratory diseases, including due to COVID-19 and its new sub-variant JN.1, and influenza.

The WHO also urged people to take protective measures.

“The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. (PTI)

 Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: Rajasthan has reported 11 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The state has witnessed seven cases in Jaipur and one each in the Alwar, Kota, Dausa and Sawai Madhopur districts, according to an official statement issued by the state health department.

The number of active cases in the state stands at 20, stated the official release.

Meanwhile, a total of 656 cases of COVID-19 subvariant JN.1 and one death have been reported in the country for the past 24 hours, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (ANI)

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In view of rising cases of Covid sub-variant JN.1, the Maharashtra government has ordered health officials to ensure the availability of ventilators, oxygen cylinders and other necessary equipment at government hospitals.

In a meeting at Latur on Saturday, Maharashtra minister Sanjay Bansode said that the health department must take precautionary measures and ensure the availability of necessary equipment and medicines at all government-run facilities. Read More

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In response to the emergence of the new COVID sub-variant JN.1, the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department issued guidelines on Saturday. They urged vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, to wear face masks when they go out and avoid crowded places.

“With the emergence of the JN1 COVID variant, the Odisha government has advised the elderly and those with co-morbidities to wear facemasks while going out and avoid visiting crowded places,” the Odisha Health & Family Welfare Department said in a post on ‘X’.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: “The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing and ensure the sharing of data,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said in a statement.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In light of the emergence of the JN.1 Covid variant, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Bansode instructed health officials to ensure the availability of ventilators, oxygen cylinders and other necessary equipment at government hospitals.

In a meeting in Latur on Saturday, the minister said the health department must take precautionary measures and ensure the availability of necessary equipment and medicines at all government-run facilities.

Collector Varsha Thakur-Ghuge, chief executive officer Anmol Sagar, superintendent of police Somay Munde, municipal commissioner Babasaheb Manohare and other senior officials attended the meeting. (PTI)

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: A total of 656 cases of Covid-19 subvariant JN.1 and one death have been reported in the country for the past 24 hours, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country was recorded at 3742.

Earlier on Saturday, a multifold spurt in fresh COVID cases was noted in India, with Kerala contributing the majority of those.

A total of 423 cases were reported, of which 266 were from Kerala and 70 from neighbouring Karnataka, Union health ministry data showed. (ANI)

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently designated JN.1 as a variant of interest, differentiating it from its parent lineage BA.2.86. Despite its swift dissemination, the global health organization has underscored that the overall risk associated with JN.1 is currently considered low based on available evidence.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: As COVID cases show an upward trend in multiple states, reaching 3742 active patients on Sunday, concerns mount with the highest reported cases in Kerala, where a new variant, JN.1, has emerged.

In the ongoing battle against the evolving coronavirus, Dr Sameer Bhati, a public health expert and director of Star Imaging and Path Lab, sheds light on its changing dynamics.

Despite a relatively lower number of tests in Delhi, cases are closely monitored and genome sequencing is done to identify any emerging variants.

Dr Bhati explains that while the RTPCR test is employed for COVID detection, genome sequencing is done to identify new variants. (ANI)

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: With new Covid sub-variant JN.1 fueling a sudden infection surge, former AIIMS director and senior pulmonologist, Dr Randeep Guleria noted though the new variant is spreading rapidly, it is not causing severe infections and hospitalisation. On the vaccine situation, he said that since the virus is changing, we need a new jab that ‘covers a broader type of the virus’.

Dr Guleria told news agency ANI, “It is more transmissible, it is spreading more rapidly, and it is gradually becoming a dominant variant. It is causing more infections but the data also suggests that it is not causing severe infections or hospitalisations. Most of the symptoms are predominantly in the upper airways, like fever, cough, cold, sore throat, running nose and body aches.” Read More

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In the past 24 hours, Kerala recorded 128 new cases of COVID-19 and one fatality, as reported by the Union Health Ministry website on Sunday. Among the 334 active coronavirus cases nationwide until 8 am today, 128 were specifically identified in Kerala, contributing to a total of 3,000 active cases in the state, according to the website.

The state also registered one new death, bringing the cumulative total of COVID-19-related fatalities in Kerala since the onset of the pandemic three years ago to 72,063.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The Mizoram government issued an appeal on Saturday urging the residents of the state to observe COVID-appropriate conduct during the forthcoming Christmas-New Year celebrations. This advisory is prompted by a rise in cases of the JN.1 sub-variant in certain regions of the country. 

While there have been no reported instances of the JN.1 sub-variant in Mizoram, Health Minister Lalrinpuii emphasized the critical significance of individuals strictly adhering to COVID-appropriate behavior, underscoring the need for caution and vigilance despite the absence of reported cases, and dispelling any unnecessary panic.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The Bihar government has instructed officials to upload all cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) in view of the recent spurt in Covid-19 cases in several parts of the country.

In a letter to all district magistrates (DMs), heads of all medical colleges and hospitals and civil surgeons on December 22, additional chief secretary (state health department ) Pratyay Amrit said, “The trends of ILI and SARI cases must be closely monitored by the authorities concerned in the state and all cases must be uploaded on the IHIP website. The health department must ramp up the testing rate and adequate availability of drugs, equipment, oxygen cylinders and manpower be ensured at all hospitals”. (PTI)

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: At the ‘Sagar Manthan 2.0’ event held in South Goa and organized by the weekly magazine ‘Panchjanya,’ Union Minister of State for Tourism, Shripad Naik, reassured citizens and the tourism industry on Sunday, stating that there is no cause for concern regarding the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. The minister expressed confidence, emphasizing that the nation has successfully combated the disease in the past.

“There is no need to panic. We can fight it even if it occurs again. We have fought it in the past.”

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The World Health Organization (WHO) has called upon nations in the South-East Asian region to enhance their monitoring efforts in light of the rising instances of respiratory ailments, encompassing COVID-19 and its emerging sub-variant JN.1, as well as influenza. Additionally, the WHO has encouraged individuals to adopt precautionary measures.

“The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response.

“For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing, and ensure sharing of data,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South-East Asia.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: A Noida resident has tested positive for Covid, in the first case of the infection in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar after several months, said officials, adding that his sample has been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing and the result is awaited.

Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer Dr Sunil Sharma on Thursday said the patient is a 54-year-old male who lives in Noida but works at a multinational company in Gurugram. Read More

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: “It is more transmissible, it is spreading more rapidly, and it is gradually becoming a dominant variant. It is causing more infections but the data also suggests that it is not causing severe infections or hospitalisations. Most of the symptoms are predominantly in the upper airways, like fever, cough, cold, sore throat, running nose and body aches,” Dr Guleria said.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: With the onset of winter, we witness the emergence of a new COVID variant like every year which is fueling a sudden spike in cases.

As of December 21, India reported 22 cases of the JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19. However, no clustering of cases has been observed, and all instances of the subvariant exhibit mild symptoms. But are all the symptoms the same as before or are we noticing a few new symptoms too? Read More

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: Odisha logged one Covid-19 case in the past 24 hours, a health department official said on Sunday.

“So far two Covid-19 cases have been reported in the state. Both the patients are under home isolation and their health parameters are normal,” director of public health Niranjan Mishra told PTI.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In response to the escalating instances of Covid-19 within the nation, a unique supplication was extended to Lord Jesus at the Catholic Church situated on Dewas Road, Ujjain. In observance of Christmas, the clergyman and congregants at the church convened for a distinctive prayer directed towards beseeching Lord Jesus to shield the underprivileged, marginalized, and individuals of diverse faiths in India from the impacts of the new variant of the coronavirus.

Talking about the celebration, a devotee who came to be part of the prayer told ANI, “We all be participating in the prayer at night in the church. Here in Ujjain, not only Christians but people from different religions take part in the celebration and attend the prayer at the church.”

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In the past 24 hours, Kerala recorded 128 new cases of COVID-19 and one fatality, as reported by the Union Health Ministry website on Sunday. Among the 334 active coronavirus cases nationwide until 8 am today, 128 were specifically identified in Kerala, contributing to a total of 3,000 active cases in the state, according to the website.

The state also registered one new death, bringing the cumulative total of COVID-19-related fatalities in Kerala since the onset of the pandemic three years ago to 72,063.

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In light of the emergence of the JN.1 Covid variant, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Bansode instructed health officials to ensure the availability of ventilators, oxygen cylinders and other necessary equipment at government hospitals.

In a meeting in Latur on Saturday, the minister said the health department must take precautionary measures and ensure the availability of necessary equipment and medicines at all government-run facilities.

Collector Varsha Thakur-Ghuge, chief executive officer Anmol Sagar, superintendent of police Somay Munde, municipal commissioner Babasaheb Manohare and other senior officials attended the meeting. (PTI)

Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: With an aim to set up a vigil for any concerning variant of coronavirus infection, the Government of India has been directing states to send samples of all COVID-19 test swabs for whole genome sequencing after the country witnessed an outbreak of JN.1 sub-variant of SARS-COV2.

So far, India has reported 22 cases of Covid subvariant JN.1. The affected states, including Maharashtra, Goa, Puducherry, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Punjab, and Telangana, have amped up their preparedness against the new variant. Read More

With the detection of a fresh COVID-19 case in the state and the spread of the JN.1 variant in some parts of southern India, the Odisha government on Saturday advised elderly persons and those with comorbidities to wear masks.

Taking to its official ‘X’ handle, Odisha Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) department wrote, “With the emergence of #JN1CovidVariant, #Odisha Government has advised the elderly people and those with comorbidities to wear a facemask while going out and avoid visiting crowded places. #OdishaCares.”

“In Kerala, the infected persons were mostly elderly persons with comorbidities. Keeping in view this trend, Odisha government has issued an advisory for the elderly persons and people with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and other serious health complications,” Director of Public Health Dr Niranjan Mishra told reporters. (PTI)

Odisha logged one Covid-19 case in the past 24 hours, a health department official said on Sunday.

“So far two Covid-19 cases have been reported in the state. Both the patients are under home isolation and their health parameters are normal,” director of public health Niranjan Mishra told PTI.

Samples of both the patients will be sent to the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) for genome sequencing to ascertain the presence of JN1 variant, he said.

On Saturday, the state health department had advised elderly persons and those with comorbidities to wear masks while going out and avoid visiting crowded places. (PTI)

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in India and the detection of a subvariant JN.1, India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora said that no additional dose of vaccine is needed against the subvariant at present.

Speaking to ANI about the current situation in the country, Dr Arora said, “I would say prevention is required for all those who are 60 years of age or older, who are likely to have comorbidities and those who are on drugs that suppress our immunity, like cancer patients. If they have not taken precaution so far, then they are advised to take precaution; otherwise, there is no need for any additional doses.” (ANI)

India saw a single-day rise of 656 Covid infections while the active cases have increased to 3,742, according to Union health ministry data updated on Sunday.

The death toll was recorded at 5,33,333 with one new death reported from Kerala in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The country’s Covid case tally is 4.50 crore (4,50,08,620).

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the number of new COVID cases increased by 52 per cent during the past four-odd weeks, with over 850,000 new cases reported during the period. Read here.

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in India and the detection of a subvariant JN.1, India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora said that no additional dose of vaccine is needed against the subvariant at present.

Speaking to ANI about the current situation in the country, Dr Arora said, “I would say prevention is required for all those who are 60 years of age or older, who are likely to have comorbidities and those who are on drugs that suppress our immunity, like cancer patients. If they have not taken precaution so far, then they are advised to take precaution; otherwise, there is no need for any additional doses.”

The INSACOG chief asserted that various subvariants of Omicron have been reported but none of them have increased severity. (ANI)

India has recorded 22 cases of the COVID-19 JN.1 variant over the past few days. The development came even as the World Health Organization deemed the new strain a ‘Variant of Concern’ and several states held review meetings to assess the situation. Read here.

With an aim to set up a vigil for any concerning variant of coronavirus infection, the Government of India has been directing states to send samples of all COVID-19 test swabs for whole genome sequencing after the country witnessed an outbreak of JN.1 sub-variant of SARS-COV2.

So far, India has reported 22 cases of Covid subvariant JN.1. The affected states, including Maharashtra, Goa, Puducherry, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Punjab, and Telangana, have amped up their preparedness against the new variant. Read here.

The INSACOG chief asserted that they have identified over 400 subvariants of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, but none of the sub-variants is associated with more severe disease.

“Every week you hear something new coming up in different parts and then it spreads all over India. We have identified a large number of subvariants, over 400 subvariants, or mutations of this virus, and fortunately, none of these Omicron variants have really been associated with more severe disease or hospitalization,” he said.

Dr Arora also mentioned that the symptoms of JN.1 are very similar to the Omicron variant. “Symptoms are very similar on the basis that one cannot differentiate JN.1 from other subvariants of Omicron like fever, nasal discharge, and cough. There can be occasional diarrhea and severe body aches, and usually they recover in two to five days,” the doctor outlined.

With an aim to set up a vigil for any concerning variant of coronavirus infection, the Government of India has been directing states to send samples of all COVID-19 test swabs for whole genome sequencing after the country witnessed an outbreak of JN.1 sub-variant of SARS-COV2.

So far, India has reported 22 cases of Covid subvariant JN.1. The affected states, including Maharashtra, Goa, Puducherry, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Punjab, and Telangana, have amped up their preparedness against the new variant. Read the complete story here.

The Bihar government has instructed officials to upload all cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) in view of the recent spurt in Covid-19 cases in several parts of the country.

In a letter to all district magistrates (DMs), heads of all medical colleges and hospitals and civil surgeons on December 22, additional chief secretary (state health department ) Pratyay Amrit said, “The trends of ILI and SARI cases must be closely monitored by the authorities concerned in the state and all cases must be uploaded on the IHIP website. The health department must ramp up the testing rate and adequate availability of drugs, equipment, oxygen cylinders and manpower be ensured at all hospitals”. (ANI)

Telangana on Saturday logged 12 new COVID-19 cases with Hyderabad reporting the highest number of infections at nine, a health department bulletin said.

The remaining three cases were reported from Rangareddy, Sangareddy and Warangal districts. No fresh fatalities were reported in the state, it said.

A new sub-variant JN.1, is driving the surge in the number of cases of Covid-19 virus in the world including India. The rise in the number of infections has prompted the health authorities to check the preparedness of the health system and issue preventive measures for people in critical age groups. Amid some anxiety over the new variant, the India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora has confirmed that no additional dose of vaccine is needed for the new variant.

“I would say prevention is required for all those who are 60 years of age or older, who are likely to have comorbidities, and those who are on drugs that suppress our immunity, like cancer patients. If they have not taken precautions so far, then they are advised to take precautions; otherwise, there is no need for any additional doses,” NK Arora said while speaking with news agency ANI. Read here.

New Delhi: The new strain of coronavirus may peak in the next two months as in the case of the previous Omicron wave, a top government scientist said, as the country keeps a wary eye on the spreading infection that has claimed six lives so far.

There is no clear information to state that JN.1 is causing hospitalization and deaths, said Raman Gangakhedkar, senior epidemiologist and a member of the government’s covid-19 task force.

“JN.1 was first reported in the US in September and did not show any severity. Now, it is in India and the trend looks the same. In India, even if cases are rising right now, it is in absolute numbers. People have been facing flu symptoms and not going for testing because it is mild. JN.1’s peak is expected in the coming days, and looks similar to Omicron which settled down within two months. Hence, we need to monitor it. The new virus varies from BA.2.86 by only a single mutation in its spike protein, and has the ability for higher transmission,” Gangakhedkar said.

Limited testing is posing challenges for the Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) to determine the extent of spread of the new sub-variant. A scientist at the consortium said intensified covid-19 testing and genome sequencing is required across the country to understand the virulence of the new virus and expected number of hospitalizations. Read here.

After a surge in the cases of the new COVID subvariant JN.1, doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have advised people to not panic but rather remain alert and vigilant.

“People are getting infected by the new sub-variant of COVID-JN.1 in many states of the country. The symptoms of the patients are mild. Therefore, there is no need to panic but the need to remain alert,” doctor Neeraj Nischal said.

Doctor Nischal, who is an Additional Professor in the Department of Medicine at AIIMS Delhi, said, “We have been saying this type of ripple will keep on happening. Even during the first and second waves, we predicted that this virus would mutate further and the stage would come where it would become more infectious but at the same time cause less mortality or morbidity.” (ANI)

With new Covid sub-variant JN.1 fueling a sudden infection surge, former AIIMS director and senior pulmonologist, Dr Randeep Guleria noted though the new variant is spreading rapidly, it is not causing severe infections and hospitalisation. On the vaccine situation, he said that since the virus is changing, we need a new jab that ‘covers a broader type of the virus’.

Dr Guleria told news agency ANI, “It is more transmissible, it is spreading more rapidly, and it is gradually becoming a dominant variant. It is causing more infections but the data also suggests that it is not causing severe infections or hospitalisations. Most of the symptoms are predominantly in the upper airways, like fever, cough, cold, sore throat, running nose and body aches.” Read here.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the number of new COVID cases increased by 52 per cent during the past four-odd weeks, with over 850,000 new cases reported during the period.

The number of new deaths decreased by 8 per cent as compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 3,000 new fatalities reported, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest press release. Read here.

With the onset of winter, we witness the emergence of a new COVID variant like every year which is fueling a sudden spike in cases.

As of December 21, India reported 22 cases of the JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19. However, no clustering of cases has been observed, and all instances of the subvariant exhibit mild symptoms. But are all the symptoms the same as before or are we noticing a few new symptoms too? Read here.

The Mizoram government on Saturday appealed to the people of the state to adhere to COVID-appropriate behaviour during the upcoming Christmas-New Year festive season in view of an increase in JN.1 sub-variant cases in some parts of the country.

Health Minister Lalrinpuii said that although no case of the JN.1 sub-variant has been reported in the northeastern state and there is nothing to panic about, adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour by every individual is of utmost importance.

Although Mizoram overcame the COVID pandemic in the past, the virus continued to exist in different parts of the globe, she said. (PTI)

The Assam Health Department has directed all hospitals in the state to make arrangements to fight against COVID-19 after the detection of many cases of the new COVID subvariant JN.1.

Assam Health Minister Keshab Mahanta told ANI that “we are fully prepared to fight against COVID. We have directed all hospitals to make preparedness and arrangements to fight against COVID.”

“After the meeting with the Union Health Minister, we alerted all hospitals. We have completed the preparations for the treatment of the COVID patient. Now we are 100 per cent prepared to fight COVID. One patient who came from abroad was detected as COVID-positive. Our government has given all support to the patient free of charge, and we have put the patient under observation,” Keshab Mahanta said. (ANI)

The Bihar government has instructed officials to upload all cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) in view of the recent spurt in Covid-19 cases in several parts of the country.

In a letter to all district magistrates (DMs), heads of all medical colleges and hospitals and civil surgeons on December 22, additional chief secretary (state health department ) Pratyay Amrit said, “The trends of ILI and SARI cases must be closely monitored by the authorities concerned in the state and all cases must be uploaded on the IHIP website. The health department must ramp up the testing rate and adequate availability of drugs, equipment, oxygen cylinders and manpower be ensured at all hospitals”. (PTI)

In response to the emergence of the new COVID sub-variant JN.1, the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department issued guidelines on Saturday. They urged vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, to wear face masks when they go out and avoid crowded places.

“With the emergence of the JN1 COVID variant, the Odisha government has advised the elderly and those with co-morbidities to wear facemasks while going out and avoid visiting crowded places,” the Odisha Health & Family Welfare Department said in a post on ‘X’.

Meanwhile, a multifold spurt in fresh COVID cases was noted in India over the past 24 hours, with Kerala contributing the majority of those.

A total of 423 cases were reported, of which 266 were from Kerala and 70 from neighbouring Karnataka, Union health ministry data showed. (ANI)

Delhi: On Covid-19 new variant Jn.1, former AIIMS Director and Senior Pulmonologist Dr Randeep Guleria says, ” It is more transmissible, it is spreading more rapidly, it is gradually becoming a dominant variant….it is causing more infections but the data also suggests that it is not causing severe infections and hospitalisation. Most of the symptoms are predominantly of the upper airways like fever, cough, cold, sore throat, running nose and body aches…”

Former AIIMS director and senior pulmonologist, Dr Randeep Guleria said that the new subvariant of COVID is not causing severe infections and hospitalisation.

“It is more transmissible, it is spreading more rapidly, and it is gradually becoming a dominant variant. It is causing more infections but the data also suggests that it is not causing severe infections or hospitalisations. Most of the symptoms are predominantly in the upper airways, like fever, cough, cold, sore throat, running nose and body aches,” Dr Guleria said.

Earlier, India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora said that no additional dose of vaccine is needed against the subvariant at present. (ANI)

With the onset of winter, we witness the emergence of a new COVID variant like every year which is fueling a sudden spike in cases.

As of December 21, India reported 22 cases of the JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19. However, no clustering of cases has been observed, and all instances of the subvariant exhibit mild symptoms. But are all the symptoms the same as before or are we noticing a few new symptoms too?

Kerala, the first state to report the JN.1 Covid variant reported 265 fresh Covid-19 infections and one death in the last 24 hours. The total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country was recorded at 2,997.

Are COVID-19 symptoms still the same?

Experts caution identifying the subtle changes in symptoms caused by different COVID-19 variants is challenging due to diverse antibodies from vaccinations or prior infections. Read here