Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 25: Amid concerns over a slight uptick in Covid-19 cases across some Indian states, official sources have clarified that the majority of reported infections are mild and being managed at home.
The union health ministry is keeping a close watch on the situation. A high-level review was held on Saturday by the union health secretary along with top officials from the department of Health Research (DHR), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
States such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka have reported a rise in Covid-19 cases recently. However, officials emphasised that there is a comprehensive national surveillance mechanism in place, including the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR’s respiratory virus sentinel surveillance network, to monitor respiratory infections, including Covid-19.
“Most cases being reported are mild and patients are recovering at home,” a source familiar with the developments said.
There have been international concerns as well, with media reports noting a rise in cases in countries like Singapore and Hong Kong. However, health authorities in those countries have confirmed that the variants in circulation are not significantly more transmissible or severe than earlier strains.
India has detected isolated instances of newer subvariants. According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), one case of the emerging NB.1.8.1 variant and four cases of LF.7 have been found. Both are currently classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as Variants Under Monitoring (VUMs), not Variants of Concern (VOCs) or Variants of Interest (VOIs). These variants are reportedly contributing to a rise in infections in parts of China and East Asia.
In India, the JN.1 variant remains the most dominant strain, accounting for 53% of sequenced samples. It is followed by BA.2 (26%) and other Omicron sublineages (20%).
As of May 19, the country had 257 active Covid-19 cases. Delhi reported 23 new cases, Andhra Pradesh four, Telangana one, and Bengaluru registered a case in a nine-month-old child. Kerala has logged 273 cases in the month of May so far.
The Health Ministry, sources said, remains alert and continues to track developments closely through its surveillance systems and scientific networks.