Mumbai, India – The Union Health Ministry in India reported 756 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths in the past 24 hours. Maharashtra, Kerala, and Jammu & Kashmir were the states that reported the latest fatalities. This brings the total number of active cases to 4,049, which is down from 4,187 the previous day.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in January 2020, India has seen 4,50,18,134 confirmed cases and 5,33,392 deaths. A new subvariant, JN.1, has emerged in several states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha, and Haryana, as reported by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).
Health experts are concerned about an increase in viral infections, influenza, and COVID-19 cases with the onset of winter and a rise in the cold wave. Dr. Modi, a senior pulmonologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, stated that the combination of fog, pollution, and falling temperatures can lead to smog, resulting in various infections and breathing difficulties.
The JN.1 variant cases have been reported, but data suggests that it is not significantly contributing to new cases, hospitalizations, or deaths. A total of 619 cases of the subvariant have been reported, with Karnataka leading at 199 cases and Kerala at 148 cases. INSACOG’s data shows the identification of 239 COVID-19 cases with the JN.1 variant in December 2023 and 24 cases in November 2023. The overall recovery rate in India stands at 98.81%, with over 4.4 crore individuals having recovered from COVID-19.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in India stands at 2,20,67,79,081. This data has raised concerns among health experts, with the cold weather being a contributing factor to the increase in viral infections and respiratory illnesses in the country.
In summary, India has reported 756 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths in the past 24 hours, with the emergence of the JN.1 subvariant in several states. This comes amidst concerns about an increase in viral infections, influenza, and COVID-19 cases due to the winter season and a rise in the cold wave.