MUMBAI: A case of the covid’s JN.1 variant has emerged in the state, with a 41-year-old male from Sindhudurg identified as the first patient. The Centre on Wednesday announced that a total of 21 cases of the new variant has been found in the country, including 19 cases from Goa, and one each from Maharashtra and Kerala.
State health officials said that the individual had mild symptoms and has recovered already, but they were in the process of gathering more information.Dr Pratapsingh Sarnikar, joint director of health, said that as per preliminary information the man belonged to one of the Mumbai-Goa bordering districts and was treated in a hospital in Goa where his sample was sent for genome sequencing. The officials believe there was no clustering of cases, and neither were any of his family members affected.
As the Centre cautioned states to keep an eye on increasing covid cases, Maharashtra reported 14 new detections on Wednesday. The count of active cases in the state has doubled from 21 to 45 in the last ten days. Mumbai has 27 active cases followed by Thane and Pune that have eight cases each. Of the active cases, only two are hospitalized of which one patient is in the ICU.
In the light of this new variant, the state health department has asked all districts to strengthen the surveillance of influenza like illness (ILI) and severe adverse respiratory infection (SARI) patients. Districts have been told to test such patients and send the positive samples for genome sequencing.
Dr Sarnikar said that districts have been asked to increase testing since there are adequate kits available. On Wednesday, 530 tests were carried out in the state of which 358 were rapid tests and 172 RT-PCR. Maharashtra currently has nearly 3.3lakh RTPCR kits and more than 16.8lakh rapid antigen kits for testing. The official said that mock drills of health institutions were conducted in all districts on 17th December. There was enough oxygen with all the hospitals.
Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, who coordinates SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequencing in Maharashtra, said that till recently XBB.2.3 and XBB.1.16 were the dominant strains here. “We have to keep an eye on hospitalization to get the real picture,” he said, adding that masking is an ideal way of protection.
Watch Breaking! COVID surge alert: India’s cases double in 9 days, 19 more sequences of JN.1 variant found
State health officials said that the individual had mild symptoms and has recovered already, but they were in the process of gathering more information.Dr Pratapsingh Sarnikar, joint director of health, said that as per preliminary information the man belonged to one of the Mumbai-Goa bordering districts and was treated in a hospital in Goa where his sample was sent for genome sequencing. The officials believe there was no clustering of cases, and neither were any of his family members affected.
As the Centre cautioned states to keep an eye on increasing covid cases, Maharashtra reported 14 new detections on Wednesday. The count of active cases in the state has doubled from 21 to 45 in the last ten days. Mumbai has 27 active cases followed by Thane and Pune that have eight cases each. Of the active cases, only two are hospitalized of which one patient is in the ICU.
In the light of this new variant, the state health department has asked all districts to strengthen the surveillance of influenza like illness (ILI) and severe adverse respiratory infection (SARI) patients. Districts have been told to test such patients and send the positive samples for genome sequencing.
Dr Sarnikar said that districts have been asked to increase testing since there are adequate kits available. On Wednesday, 530 tests were carried out in the state of which 358 were rapid tests and 172 RT-PCR. Maharashtra currently has nearly 3.3lakh RTPCR kits and more than 16.8lakh rapid antigen kits for testing. The official said that mock drills of health institutions were conducted in all districts on 17th December. There was enough oxygen with all the hospitals.
Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, who coordinates SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequencing in Maharashtra, said that till recently XBB.2.3 and XBB.1.16 were the dominant strains here. “We have to keep an eye on hospitalization to get the real picture,” he said, adding that masking is an ideal way of protection.
Watch Breaking! COVID surge alert: India’s cases double in 9 days, 19 more sequences of JN.1 variant found
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