As India grapples with the evolving situation, the emphasis remains on vigilance and adherence to public health guidelines...
Digital Desk: India witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with 656 fresh infections reported, bringing the active case tally to 3,742, according to data from the Union Health Ministry. The death toll rose to 5,33,333, with one new death recorded in Kerala within 24 hours.
The country's overall Covid case tally stands at 4.50 crore (4,50,08,620), while the number of recoveries has reached 4,44,71,545, resulting in a national recovery rate of 98.81%. The case fatality rate remains at 1.19%, and a noteworthy 220.67 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the nation.
The spike in cases on Saturday, recording 752 new infections, marked the highest single-day increase since May 21, 2023. Four deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, contributing to a total death toll of 5,33,332. Two deaths occurred in Kerala, and one each in Rajasthan and Karnataka.
Addressing concerns about the situation, former WHO chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan emphasized that there is no need for immediate panic. She classified the current variant, JN.1, as a "variant of interest" rather than a "variant of concern," stating that no data suggests increased severity or higher mortality rates. Dr Swaminathan urged people to exercise caution and adhere to precautionary measures.
"We need to be cautious, but we don't need to worry because we don't have any data to suggest that this variant JN.1 is more severe or it's going to cause more pneumonia, more death," she stated in an interview with ANI.
The WHO recently designated JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86. Despite this classification, the WHO maintains that the overall risk posed by the sub-variant remains low based on current evidence. The organization also highlighted a 52% increase in new Covid cases over the past four weeks.
As India grapples with the evolving situation, the emphasis remains on vigilance and adherence to public health guidelines, with authorities closely monitoring the trajectory of the JN.1 variant.
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