JN.1 subvariant: Delhi reports two fresh Covid-19 cases
JN.1 subvariant: The national capital has reported two fresh cases of JN.1 variant, a sub-strain of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
The positive reports have been sent for genome sequencing to confirm instances of the sub-variant, JN.1.
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj also asserted that there are no new cases of JN.1 subvariant of Covid in Delhi at present after one patient infected with the virus was discharged.
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The health minister said, “We have increased the number of tests. Yesterday, we performed 636 tests in private and government hospitals combined. Three genome sequencing results were received yesterday, out of which two were old Omicron variants and one was JN.1.
As per the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, India's recent Covid-19 update revealed 692 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, slightly increasing the active caseload to 4,097.
The nation reported six fatalities during this period, including two in Maharashtra and one each in Delhi, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Kerala. The total Covid-19 cases in India have now reached 4,50,10,944, with a rise of 702 cases in the past day. The death toll has reached 5,33,346, marking an increase of six deaths in the same duration.
The JN.1 sub-variant is a descendant of the Omicron subvariant known as BA.2.86 or Pirola. The first case of the JN.1 variant of Covid-19 was reported in Kerala.
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Responding to the surge, AIIMS Delhi issued guidelines for handling suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases, outlining procedures for testing, allocation of specific areas for positive patients, and hospitalization protocols. The hospital's director convened a meeting with department heads to discuss these strategies and address the rising Covid-19 cases in the country.
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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