Officials in Delhi report the first incidence of Covid’s new subvariant JN.1, but there’s no cause to worry

Senior authorities with knowledge of the situation said on Wednesday that Delhi has reported the first case of the JN.1 sub-variant of COVID-19, but they urged people not to worry as the new variety is comparatively mild.

Under the condition of anonymity, a top government official in Delhi stated: “One patient tested positive for the JN.1 sub-variant. The Union Health Ministry has received the report.

Saurabh Bhardwaj, the health minister of Delhi, urged people not to worry since the type is known to produce mild symptoms and has a low fatality rate. “While people should still exercise care, there is no need to get alarmed. To make sure everyone is ready, hospitals often participate in simulated exercises. Individuals who are susceptible have to stay away from busy areas, he said.

States are required to submit samples of all positive Covid-19 test swabs for whole genome sequencing, under the Center’s directive. The instruction was issued a week after JN.1 cases, a subvariant of the Omicron variant, in many states raised concerns that it would start larger outbreaks. However, authorities have not yet seen a rise in the number of hospital admissions or reports of severe sickness.

Indeed, no mutations that may cause serious illness or death have been found since the pandemic reached an endemic stage in early 2022, after the worldwide sweep of the Omicron variety.

The JN.1 variation was discovered by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be a closely related branch of the BA.2.86 variant, which was first discovered in Denmark and Israel. BA.2.86 and its sub-lineages, including JN.1, were categorized as a variation under monitoring (VUM) on August 17, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Based on revised information, BA.2.86 and its sub-lineages are now being classed as variants of interest (VOI).

On Wednesday, the district administration of Gurugram instructed the city’s medical facilities to be vigilant, take appropriate action, and establish facilities for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav said, “A separate OPD should be created in every hospital for screening, testing, and consultation in order to prevent infection from patients with Covid symptoms.”