Due to the reappearance of the new version, the number of active Covid cases in India increased on Friday. Kerala reported 265 of the 328 active cases in India over the previous 24 hours, according to data from the Union Ministry of Health.

13 new Covid cases were recorded in Karnataka in the last 24 hours, after a rise of fifteen in Tamil Nadu.

But 16 states and union territories-among them West Bengal, Odisha, and Himachal Pradesh-have not yet reported any instances of COVID-19 this year.

JN.1 Covid variant: Kerala, Delhi, and other states conduct a coronavirus status analysis.

Based on data from the Health Ministry, as of Friday morning at 9 am, 2,606 cases out of 2,997 cases were active in Kerala. There are 105 Covid cases in Karnataka and 53 in Maharashtra.

Cases of JN.1 Covid variant in India

The JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) variant appeared for the first time in late 2023, inherited from the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola). The JN.1 variant is estimated to comprise 15–29% of circulating variants in the United States, and reports of it have been made in China, Singapore, India, and the USA. This is a tiny yet significant amount.

Rajasthan reported two more Covid cases of new sub-variant JN.1 on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the state to four. Goa, Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra have so far reported COVID cases involving the new sub-variant.

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Despite its fast-spreading nature, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated JN.1 as a “variant of interest” and stated that it presents a “low” danger to global public health.

Variant of JN.1 Covid: Should you worry about the new strain?

In the last two weeks, 16 Covid-19-related deaths have been reported nationwide; the deceased had significant comorbidities. However, as of yet, the new variety has not been associated with an increase in the hospitalisation rate. According to officials, “COVID-19 is an incidental finding” and the reasons for hospitalisation are different for the patients.

States have been notified by the health ministry to take the appropriate safety precautions. but emphasised that there is no reason to be alarmed because viral mutations are a normal part of evolution.

Source – https://www.livemint.com/news/india/covid-cases-in-india-328-active-cases-detected-in-24-hours-rajasthan-reports-4-cases-of-jn1-11703216235202.html