Goa Covid Update: Total 34 JN.1 variant cases reported so far, most cured at home

NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing Covid scare due to the emergence of the rapidly spreading new variant JN.1, the Union Health Ministry said that India on Monday crossed the 4,000-mark, while one death was reported in Kerala. As many as 4,054 active Covid-19 cases were reported in the past 24 hours compared to 3,742 on Sunday, a new high in the last few months.

At least 63 cases of the new COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 were reported in the country till Sunday, including 34 detected in Goa till date, news agency PTI reported citing its sources. Nine cases have been detected from Maharashtra, eight from Karnataka, six from Kerala, four from Tamil Nadu and two from Telangana.

New Year crowds in Goa can see a huge spike in Covid cases

The huge crowds across the coastal stretches of Goa due to the New Year festivities and a popular music festival in North Goa, can result in a huge spike in Covid cases in the coming three weeks, which could result in an added burden on the State’s medical and health infrastructure, experts have warned.

Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry statement, Maharashtra logged a total of nine cases of the JN.1 variant on Sunday. The individuals infected by JN.1 in Maharastra include five from Thane city near Mumbai, two from Pune city, and one each from a rural area of Pune district, Akola city, and Sindhudurg district.

Kerala, where the first case of Covid sub-variant JN.1 was detected, recorded the most number of active cases in a single day on Sunday with one death, pushing the nationwide death toll to 5,33,334.

The central government said the current spike in Covid-19 cases was not a cause for concern and urged people not to panic. However, the Centre has advised people having comorbidities to wear face masks as a precautionary measure.

The WHO Classifies JN.1 as ‘Variant of Interest’

On witnessing the surge in the number of JN.1 variant cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) last week designated JN.1 as a “variant of interest”, differentiating it from its parent lineage BA.2.86. “Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low,” said WHO, reported Reuters.

All You Need To Know About JN.1 Variant

Raising alarms among health authorities, the JN.1 variant is a descendant of the Pirola variant (BA.2.86). The sub-variant was first identified in Luxembourg and has since spread to several countries.

This variant has only one change in its spike protein compared with its ancestor, but that seems to have been enough to make it a fitter and faster virus, CNN reported.

According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccines targeting the spike protein of a virus should also function against JN.1 and BA.2.86. A majority of these cases are clinically mild and the patients are recovering on their own at their homes, without any specific treatment.