Mumbai, India – The Union Health Ministry has reported 756 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths in the past 24 hours. The states of Maharashtra, Kerala, and Jammu & Kashmir were the latest to report fatalities. The number of active cases has decreased to 4,049, down from 4,187 the previous day.
Since the start of the pandemic in January 2020, India has recorded a total of 4,50,18,134 confirmed cases and 5,33,392 deaths. A new subvariant, known as JN.1 and a descendant of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.86, has been identified in several states including Kerala, Karnataka, Delhi, and Maharashtra. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) confirmed the presence of the JN.1 subvariant in their latest report.
Although cases of the JN.1 variant have been reported, data suggests that it is not significantly contributing to new cases, hospitalizations, or deaths. The affected states collectively reported 619 cases of the subvariant, with Karnataka leading at 199 cases and Kerala at 148 cases. The overall recovery rate in India stands at 98.81%, with over 4.4 crore individuals having recovered from COVID-19.
India has administered a total of 2,20,67,79,081 COVID-19 vaccine doses. Health experts are warning about the possible increase in viral infections, influenza, and COVID-19 cases with the onset of winter and an escalation in the cold wave.
Dr. Modi, a senior pulmonologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, highlighted the impact of the cold weather, fog, and pollution on respiratory health, stating that these conditions can result in different types of infections, and many people are experiencing difficulty in breathing.
In summary, India has reported 756 new COVID-19 cases and 5 deaths in the past 24 hours. The JN.1 variant, a descendant of the Omicron subvariant known as BA.2.86, has surfaced in several states. The overall recovery rate in India stands at 98.81%, and the country has administered over 2.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses.