Amid JN.1 concern and WHO flagging surge in new infections by 52 per cent during the past four-odd weeks, India’s Covid cases tally too is moving northward as it touched 752, the highest in the past seven months while four deaths have been reported in Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

The WHO which has classified JN.1 as a variant of interest has also warned that the variant could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries.

As per the Union Health Ministry data, in India 17 States have reported an uptick in active cases of Covid-19 with Kerala (266), Karnataka (70), Maharashtra (15), Tamil Nadu (13) and Gujarat (12), Goa, Puducherry, Telangana, Punjab, and Delhi.

IMA Covid Task Force Dr Rajeev Jayadevan has said that the new strain can be problematic for people of old age and those with multiple comorbidities. States are already on alert in view of rise in the cases.

The Bihar government has decided to increase RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests while random testing will take place at Patna, Gaya and Darbhanga airports.

“We are doing tests in Assam also, but no person without any travel history has tested positive for the coronavirus,” said an official from Assam. Similarly, officials in Jharkhand said that the State is prepared to deal with any spurt in Covid-19 cases, although the situation is presently under control. No fresh coronavirus cases have been reported in the state since December 18, when two infections were detected in a Jamshedpur hospital, the officials said.

Amid a surge in cases in the state, the Maharashtra government has decided to set up a Covid-19 task force to study new threats emerging from the new sub-variant of the Covid virus, said health minister Tanaji Sawant as per reports. The country’s Covid case tally stood at 4.50 crore (4,50,07,964).

The number of people recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,71,212, and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry’s website. The fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent.

The ministry’s website stated that 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far.

As per the WHO, worldwide  number of new deaths decreased by 8 per cent as compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 3,000 new fatalities reported.

As of December 17, over 772 million confirmed cases and nearly seven million deaths have been reported globally since the onset of Covid-19, the WHO noted.

Further, it said over 118,000 new COVID-19 hospitalisations and over 1600 new intensive care unit (ICU) admissions have been recorded, with an overall increase of 23 per cent and 51 per cent, respectively, globally. As of December 18, 2023, JN.1, a sub-lineage of BA.2.86 Omicron variant has been designated a separate variant of interest (VOI) apart from its parent lineage BA.2.86 due to its rapid increase in prevalence in recent weeks.

Globally, EG.5 remains the most reported variant of interest.

Due to its rapidly increasing spread, WHO is classifying the variant JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) from

the parent lineage BA.2.86. It was previously classified as VOI as part of BA.2.86 sublineage

Meanwhile, the US health body, CDC has warned that flu and Covid infections are rising and could get worse over the holidays.

“Look for flu and Covid-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily,” it said.

Current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, it said.

The Covid-19 is not the only respiratory disease circulating. Influenza, RSV, and common childhood pneumonia are also on the rise.

The WHO has advised people to take measures to prevent infections and severe disease using all available tools. These include wearing a mask when in crowded, enclosed, or poorly ventilated areas, keeping a safe distance from others, practicing respiratory etiquette (covering coughs and sneezes), cleaning hands regularly, and getting tested if one has any symptoms or if you might have been exposed to someone with Covid-19 or influenza.