India witnesses COVID-19 surge, health minister calls for mock drills
India on Wednesday witnessed a fresh surge in COVID-19 cases, with 614 new cases reported in the last 24 hours—reportedly the highest daily tally since May 21. This increase is attributed to the coronavirus sub-variant JN.1. Following this, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a review meeting to assess preparations in hospitals. He also urged state and central government health officials to hold quarterly mock drills to ensure the preparedness of hospitals.
Why does this story matter?
The first case of the coronavirus subvariant JN.1 was recently detected in Kerala. This comes amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in India. On Friday, Kerala alone registered 280 COVID-19 cases, out of a total of 312 new cases across the country. Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairperson of the National Indian Medical Association (IMA) COVID Task Force, indicated that JN.1 may be the major contributor to the current surge. So far, India has reported 21 cases of the JN.1 variant.
Health Ministry's meeting on COVID-19 situation
At the meeting, Mandaviya stressed the need for vigilance and readiness in light of the upcoming festive season. Others who attended the meeting included union ministers SP Singh Baghel and Bharati Pravin Pawar; Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant; Secretary Department of Health Research Dr. Rajiv Bahl, and Dr. VK Paul from NITI Aayog. The meeting was convened to discuss the sudden rise in COVID-19 cases and fatalities in some parts of the country.
Centre asked states, UTs to monitor, track new variants
Moreover, states and union territories (UTs) have been directed to keep an eye on emerging COVID-19 case patterns, symptoms, and severity to devise suitable public health strategies. The Centre has advised them to submit samples of COVID-19-positive cases to INSACOG labs for monitoring new variants. The Centre has advised them to submit samples of COVID-19-positive cases to INSACOG labs to help track down new variants.
Know about JN.1 sub-variant of COVID-19
The first case of JN.1 in India was confirmed in a sample from a 79-year-old woman in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Its symptoms include mild fever, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, runny nose, facial pain or pressure, headache, and digestive issues. The JN.1 variant is believed to have evolved from the Omicron sub-variant BA.2.86 or Pirola and was first detected in the United States (US) in September 2023.
Know about current COVID-19 scenario
As per the latest Union Health Ministry data, India has 2,311 active cases. Meanwhile, the death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 5,33,321, with three new deaths recorded in Kerala in the last 24 hours. The case fatality rate was 1.19%. India's COVID-19 case tally stood at 4,50,05,978 COVID-19 cases, with 4,44,70,346 recoveries at a rate of 98.81%. At least 220.67 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered throughout the country so far.
