COVID-19 omicron variant: A total of at least 22 JN.1 COVID variant cases were reported in India till December 21 (Thursday). As per the official sources, no clustering of COVID-19 reported so far and all cases have mild symptoms.
Corona cases update:
The total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country was recorded at 2,997. India today (December 22) recorded 640 fresh COVID-19 infections while the number of active cases climbed to 2,997 from 2,669 the day before, according to Union Health Ministry data.
The country's COVID-19 tally now stands at 4.50 crore (4,50,07,212). The death toll climbed to 5,33,328 with one more fatality reported from Kerala, the data stated. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,70,887. The national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry's website.
The case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.67 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the country so far.
WHO chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan on new variant:
Meanwhile, amid rising concerns over the emergence of the new variant of the Coronavirus, former World Health Organisation (WHO) chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan asserted that there is no need to panic currently as it is a variant of interest and not of concern.
However, she urged people to be cautious by taking proper precautionary measures. Speaking to the media, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former DG, of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said, "We need to be cautious, but we don't need to worry because we don't have any data to suggest that this variant JN.1 is more severe or it's going to cause more pneumonia, more death."
"I think what we need to do is try to take the normal preventive measures that we are all now familiar with. We were familiar with Omicron, so it's the same family. So not much has changed, but 1 or 2 new mutations have come up. And that's why I think WHO has said let's keep a watch on it. It's a variant of interest. It's not a variant of concern," said the doctor.
She further advised precautions to avoid infection, "Avoid being in a very closed environment with very poor ventilation with toxic people without a mask. So do wear a mask if you're in that type of very close setting because prolonged exposure to somebody infected increases the risk of infection"
"Try to be in an open space rather than in most cases, have gatherings and now ventilated places today, entering into the season of gatherings," said Swaminathan."If you have some warning symptoms and signs like severe fatigue, prolonged fever or you're feeling breathless, visit the hospital," she said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86. However, the global health body emphasised that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.
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