First Case of H3N2 Found in Jharkhand; Daily Covid Cases Cross 1,000 After 129 Days

With at least 451 H3N2 cases registered in the nation between January 2 and March 5, states in India are on high alert due to the outbreak's increased danger.

The H3N2 influenza virus is believed to be responsible for at least nine fatalities nationwide, the most recent being a 73-year-old man who passed away on Friday in Pune, Maharashtra.

1,071 NEW COVID CASE REPORTS

After 129 days, India had a daily surge of more than 1,000 new Covid-19 cases, while the number of active cases rose to 5,915, according to statistics provided on Sunday by the Union health ministry.

A total of 1,071 new cases were recorded throughout the country in a 24-hour period, and three more deaths—one each in Rajasthan and Maharashtra and one resolved in Kerala—brought the death toll up to 5,30,802.

JHARKHAND REPORTS THE FIRST H3N2 CASE

A health official stated on Sunday, according to PTI, that Jharkhand has recorded five cases of Covid-19 and its first incidence of H3N2 influenza.

According to the official, a 68-year-old lady who was taken to Tata Main Hospital (TMH), Jamshedpur on Thursday with cold and fever symptoms tested positive for the H3N2 influenza virus on Saturday.

GURUGRAM COMMENTS ON TWO NEW CASES

The health department in Gurugram confirmed two further instances of the virus on Saturday, one day after the city reported its first case, in which a four-year-old kid tested positive for the infection.

According to them, an 11-month-old newborn girl and a 55-year-old lady both tested positive for the flu virus.

After an improvement in her health, the mother was released from a private hospital and is now being treated at home in isolation while the child is being cared for at a Rohtak medical college, according to the department.

According to Dr. J. P. Rajliwal, the district surveillance officer, the health department teams have also been tracking down anyone who had contact with the infected individuals.

The officer claimed that after identifying 10 persons who had contact with the infant and the mom, their samples were obtained on Saturday and they were told to stay in isolation.

The Union Health Ministry has written to states and UTs stating that operational rules for integrated monitoring of respiratory pathogens presenting as instances of severe acute respiratory infection or influenza-like disease must be followed as cases increase.

NEW DELHI ADVICE

On Friday, Saurabh Bharadwaj, the health minister for Delhi, warned the populace to avoid crowded areas because to the country's increasing Covid-19 and H3N2 influenza outbreaks.

At government hospitals, there are few cases. In Lok Nayak Hospital, there are 20 cases of influenza, and there are 8 to 10 cases at other hospitals. In the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak, beds were reserved. These beds have not been distributed "Speaking to the media, he remarked.

ALERT FOR MAHARASHTRA

The Maharastra government has ordered all of the state's hospitals to be on notice due to the escalating H3N2 influenza infections. The H3N2 virus is spreading throughout the state, but there is no reason to be concerned, Maharastra Health Minister Tanaji Sawant said while speaking to the media after a meeting of the Health Department in front of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. People must avoid crowded places, refrain from wearing masks, and preserve their social distance. Cases of H3N2 and Covid are now again increasing in the state."

According to the Minister, Maharastra has so far reported up to 352 instances of H3N2 influenza that are being treated in various hospitals. Sawant linked the increase in instances to the changing weather, which he said is having an impact on people's health.

OTHER STATES RELEASE ADVICE

Children and the elderly have been advised to take safeguards by the Uttar Pradesh administration.

According to the advise, hospitals have been told to admit H3N2 patients if their oxygen level drops to 90. Patients with H3N2 should be given oseltamivir. A list of hotline numbers has also been made public by the administration.

There is no need to fear over the influenza A H3N2 variant virus infection in the state, according to Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar, who also advised people to take measures.

SURGE IN COVID CASE CASES

According to statistics released on Saturday by the Union health ministry, daily Covid cases in India have surpassed 800 following more than 4 months of a sharp increase in H3N2 infections.

In the previous day, 843 additional Covid infections were recorded, bringing the total number of current cases to 5,389.

The recent increase in Covid cases in India, according to experts, may be caused by the fast proliferating XBB.1 descendent, XBB.1.16. This subvariant is growing in popularity in at least four countries, including India, according to a global website that monitors Covid variants.

INSACOG data show that the XBB.1.16 variation of COVID-19 has been identified in 76 samples to far.

According to data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), the variation has been identified in Karnataka (30), Maharashtra (29), Puducherry (7), Delhi (5), Telangana (2), Gujarat (1), Himachal Pradesh (1), and Odisha (1).