COVID-19: According to a report released by District Surveillance Officer Dr RK Gupta, 4 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Ghaziabad, prompting the health department to increase surveillance. All four cases were reported from the Trans-Hindon area of the district.
According to INSACOG data, one case of the newly emerging COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 and four instances of the LF.7 type have been detected in India. As of May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies LF.7 and NB.1.8 subvariants as Variants Under Monitoring, not as Variants of Concern or Variants of Interest. But these are the variants that are reportedly driving the rise in COVID-19 cases in China and parts of Asia.
According to data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), one case of NB.1.8.1 was identified in April in Tamil Nadu and four cases of LF.7 were detected in Gujarat in May. In India, the most common variant remains JN.1, comprising 53 per cent of samples tested, followed by BA.2 (26 per cent) and other Omicron sublineages (20 per cent).
Low public health risk: WHO
Though WHO’s preliminary risk assessment classifies NB.1.8.1 as posing a low public health risk globally, its spike protein mutations such as A435S, V445H, and T478I suggest increased transmissibility and immune evasion compared to other variants.
As of May 19, the country had 257 active COVID-19 cases. A meeting chaired by the Director General of Health Services and attended by experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and other key health institutions recently reviewed the situation.
However, several regions have reported localised increases. Delhi recorded 23 new cases, Andhra Pradesh reported four in the last 24 hours, Telangana confirmed one, and a nine-month-old in Bengaluru tested positive amid a gradual rise over the past 20 days. Kerala reported 273 cases in May alone.
10 COVID cases detected in Thane in three days
As many as 10 cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Maharashtra’s Thane city over the last three days, with the civic administration urging hospitals to stay vigilant, officials said on Saturday (May 24). According to a release issued by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), the affected patients showed mild symptoms and are undergoing treatment at home.
The civic body has urged people not to panic and follow precautionary measures. TMC Commissioner Saurabh Rao has instructed the civic health department and hospitals to remain vigilant and alert for examination and treatment of COVID-19 patients, the release stated.
The civic body held a high-level review meeting on Friday (May 23) to assess the situation and readiness of the health system. During the meeting, chief medical officer Dr Chetna Nitil informed that all patients were stable and recovering at home.
“A sufficient stock of medicines has been maintained at all health centres, and COVID-19 testing kits are readily available,” the release quoted her as saying.
“A dedicated 19-bed ward has been set up at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa for COVID-19 patients,” hospital superintendent Dr Aniruddha Malgaonkar said.
The civic body has also made arrangements for potential hospital admissions if needed. He said the hospital is also equipped with RT-PCR testing facilities. The civic body has assured that the situation is under control and appealed to the public not to panic.
“The health machinery is fully prepared, and constant monitoring is underway,” the TMC release stated.
