India has reported 63 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant of COVID-19, with the majority of cases (34) in the state of Goa. Officials have assured that the new strain is not leading to severe illness or hospitalizations. Dr. N K Arora, the head of India’s SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), stated that they are closely monitoring the situation and will be able to assess the clinical behavior of the new subvariant in India in three to four weeks. He emphasized the importance of vigilance without causing panic and highlighted that the virus appears to be mild, with no significant impact on hospitalizations.
The distribution of JN.1 cases in India includes 34 in Goa, 9 in Maharashtra, 8 in Karnataka, 6 in Kerala, 4 in Tamil Nadu, and 2 in Telangana. Dr. Arora suggested that the higher reporting of cases in Goa could be attributed to an increase in domestic and international tourism during the New Year festivities. He acknowledged a decline in COVID testing in the country and urged all states and union territories to enhance testing efforts. While acknowledging the increase in COVID-19 cases in India, Dr. Arora emphasized the need to observe how the virus behaves in the coming weeks as testing efforts ramp up. He noted that, unlike the Delta variant, Omicron did not have a severe impact in India, and he urged caution for individuals above 60 years and those with comorbidities to take necessary precautions. Regarding vaccines, Dr. Arora recommended that only individuals who are comorbid and have not received the third dose should take it, while others may not require it.
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