According to the latest developments, COVID is making a comeback in the form of a new variant. In this regard, the central government has advised all states to implement stricter public health measures to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus as a surge in infections has been reported in some states, especially Kerala.
According to reports, on December 8, the first case of a new COVID-19 sub-variant, JN.1, was reported in the southern state, raising concerns about a potential resurgence of health risks after two years since India's last pandemic lockdown.
The recently emerged JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) variant is considered to be a descendant of an Omicron subvariant with increased potential to evade immunity acquired through vaccination or prior infection.
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In this regard, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant has written to states and Union Territories, stressing the need to maintain constant vigilance over the COVID situation. He acknowledged the collaborative efforts between the central and state governments that have managed to maintain a trajectory of consistently low infection rates.
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Pant, however, highlighted the continued circulation of the COVID-19 virus and the need to adapt to its epidemiological behaviour in conjunction with Indian weather conditions and the presence of other common pathogens. He stressed the importance of maintaining momentum to effectively address public health challenges.
Meanwhile, the central government has urged states to strictly follow operational guidelines for COVID-19 surveillance, stressing the importance of thorough testing in every district. Pant stressed that states should regularly track and report cases of influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness in health facilities. Also, the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal should be used to identify early trends in the number of cases.
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States have been instructed to send positive samples for genome sequencing to the Indian Consortium for SARS-CoV-2 Genomics (INSACOG) laboratories to identify any new variant of the virus. In addition, states must ensure active participation of all public and private health facilities in a preparedness and response capacity exercise organised by the Union Health Ministry.
In response to the new COVID-19 variant in Kerala, the Karnataka state government has made it mandatory for people aged 60 years and above and those with comorbidities to wear masks in public. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a “variant of interest” and so far, it has been detected in the United States, China, Singapore and India.
