Following a spike in COVID cases, the Indian state of Kerala has advised people to exercise caution but not to become alarmed.
The rise was seen in the southern state after identifying JN.1, a sub-variant of Covid-19.
It has already been discovered in several nations, including China and the US.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), all Covid-19 vaccinations licensed will continue to protect against JN.1.
There are 1,324 active COVID-19 cases in the southern Indian state as of Saturday, and four fatalities from the illness were reported. This has been ascribed by officials to the state’s high testing rate.
However, it’s unclear how many of these instances are connected to JN.1. Genome sequencing of a limited number of samples is frequently done to monitor various viral variations.
Veena George, the state minister of health, assured everyone that everything was under control and there was no need to fear.
An RT-PCR test sample that tested positive for the JN.1 sub-variant was discovered in Kerala earlier this month, according to authorities.
According to them, it was found as part of the regular surveillance still in place at INSACOG, a network of laboratories that has been monitoring COVID-19 in India.
The 79-year-old patient healed after experiencing moderate influenza-like symptoms.
On Sunday, Ms. George mentioned that the variation was already in use in other regions of the nation.
“Months ago, this variant was detected in a few Indians who were screened at the Singapore airport,” she told the media.
Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Kerala’s neighboring states, also report that they are closely monitoring the state’s increasing number of cases.
Concurrently, the Indian federal health ministry has conducted simulated exercises in many state hospitals to assess their readiness to manage an unexpected surge in the number of cases of COVID-19. However, the JN.1 sub-variant has not been linked to the training by authorities.
However, the increase in Covid cases in Kerala has been highlighted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
“During the past several weeks, there has been a growing trend of Covid-19 instances from the state of Kerala. According to Rajiv Bahl, Director General of the ICMR, “this has been attributed to an increase in the number of samples from influenza-like illness (ILI) cases being referred for testing.”
