Bengaluru: Karnataka has confirmed its first cases and deaths attributed to the JN.1 subvariant of the novel coronavirus, as announced by the health department on Monday. Three deaths and 34 cases have been reported, marking the emergence of the JN.1 subvariant, described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “variant of interest.”
Bengaluru leads with the highest number of cases, recording 20 instances and two deaths related to JN.1. Mysuru and Mandya follow with four and three cases, respectively. Ramanagara reported one active case and one death, while Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, and Bengaluru Rural each reported one case of JN.1.
While experts had speculated about the presence of the subvariant due to the increasing number of Covid cases, genomic sequencing reports confirmed its prevalence on Monday. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao reassured the public, stating that the situation was not alarming and that the virus was not severe. He mentioned that the data on prevalence would guide future actions.
The state reported a total of 125 new Covid cases on Monday, with 3,155 tests conducted and a positivity rate of 3.96%. Karnataka currently has 436 active Covid cases, with 400 patients under home isolation, 29 admitted to general beds, and seven in the ICU.
Regarding potential measures to curb the spread of the virus, Rao stated that stringent actions were not currently necessary. The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) had suggested some measures, which would be presented to the cabinet sub-committee meeting on Tuesday for a decision.
TAC Chairman Dr. Ravi K echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the JN.1 subvariant was not severe, and there was no need to panic. As the state monitors the situation closely, additional results from genomic sequencing are expected by Wednesday.
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