A new Covid subvariiant JN.1 case has been reported in Kerala, raising health authorities' concerns. The case was reported on December 8 when a 79-year-old woman tested positive in an RT-PCR test done on November 18. She showed mild symptoms of influenza-like illnesses and had recoverd.
Earlier, an Indian traveller was also detected with JN.1 sub-variant in Singapore. The person was a native of Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirapalli district and had travelled to Singapore on October 25.
No increase in cases was observed in Tiruchirapalli district or other places in Tamil Nadu following the strain being detected in them.
"After a seven-month gap, cases are rising in India. In Kerala, there are reports of people getting Covid, but the severity so far appears to be the same as before," said Rajeev Jayadev, National Indian Medical Association Covid Task Force's co-chairman.
According to news agency ANI, Rajeev Jayadevan has informed that JN.1 variant is capable of spreading faster and evading immunity.
"JN.1 is a severely immune-evasive and fast-spreading variant, markedly different from XBB and all other prior versions of this virus. This enables it to infect people who had previous Covid infections and also people who were vaccinated," he added.
Cases of this particular variant has surfaced in other countries as well.
India sees over 300 cases on Saturday
India recorded a single-day rise of 339 new COVID-19 infections while the active caseload rose to 1,492, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.
The death toll was recorded at 5,33,311 (5.33 lakh), the data updated at 8 am showed. The country's Covid case tally currently stands at 4,50,04,481 (4.50 crore).
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease is currently at 4,44,69,678 (4.44 crore) while the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the Health Ministry website.
The case fatality rate is at 1.19 per cent.
According to the ministry website, 220.67 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far.
With inputs from PTI
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