Delhi Reports First Case Of JN.1 Sub-Variant Of COVID-19: Mild Infection, No Need For Panic

On Wednesday, Delhi confirmed its initial case of the Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1, according to Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj's statement to ANI. Out of the three samples subjected to Genome Sequencing, one was identified as JN.1, while the remaining two were of the Omicron variant, as reported by Bharadwaj to ANI. Describing JN.1 as a mild infection, the minister assured the public that there is no need for panic, emphasizing its prevalence in South India and its tendency to cause mild illness.

As of December 26, the country has reported a total of 109 cases of the JN.1 COVID variant. A 28-year-old patient with co-morbidities, not originally from Delhi, passed away, with Covid not identified as the primary cause. A Delhi government official informed PTI that the patient, recently referred to a private hospital, had multiple co-morbidities, and the discovery of Covid was incidental. The deceased's sample has been sent for genome sequencing, and a report is pending.

Multiple samples were sent for genome sequencing, with one testing positive for the JN.1 variant, according to the official. Health ministry sources informed PTI that India has reported 40 new cases of the JN.1 sub-variant, bringing the total to 109 as of December 26. Gujarat reported 36 cases, Karnataka 34, Goa 14, Maharashtra 9, Kerala 6, and Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana each reported 4, 4, and 2 cases, respectively. The majority of patients are currently in home isolation.

The JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) variant emerged in August 2023 in Luxembourg and is considered a descendant of the BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola) of SARS-CoV-2. Last week, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant urged states and Union territories to implement necessary public health measures and emphasized the critical importance of COVID-19 control and management strategies during the ongoing festive season. The states have been advised to ensure effective compliance with operational guidelines for the revised surveillance strategy for COVID-19, monitoring and reporting district-wise cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) in all health facilities for early detection of rising trends in cases.