1,378 cases of Covid sub-variant JN.1 recorded in India: INSACOG

A total of 1,378 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been recorded in the country so far and Manipur has become the latest state to detect its presence, according to INSACOG on Friday.

Data compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) showed that Maharashtra has reported the highest number of variant cases at 320, followed by Karnataka at 234.

Andhra Pradesh recorded 189 JN.1 cases while Kerala recorded 156 cases of the variant. West Bengal reported 96 JN.1 cases, Goa (90), Tamil Nadu (89) and Gujarat (76).

According to data obtained by PTI, there are 37 JN.1 cases in Rajasthan, 32 in Telangana, 25 in Chhattisgarh, 16 in Delhi, seven in Uttar Pradesh, five in Haryana, three in Odisha and one each in Uttarakhand, Manipur and Nagaland. Have been recorded.

Amid the rise in the number of Covid cases in the country and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant, the Center has asked the states and union territories to maintain constant surveillance.

States have been urged to ensure effective compliance with the detailed operational guidelines for the revised surveillance strategy for COVID-19 shared with them by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

States have also been asked to regularly monitor and report district-wise cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) from all health facilities for early detection of rising trend of Covid cases.

The World Health Organization has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” given its rapidly increasing spread, but said it poses a “low” global public health risk.

The world body said the JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineage, the original lineage which was classified as a VOI. Has been done

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)