The Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department of the Bihar government has issued the strict guidelines for COVID testing to all medical colleges, hospital superintendents, and also the civil surgeons of RMRI, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, and one of the most prestigieous institutions in Bihar, AIIMS Patna.
Patna: The cases of the COVID-19 virus are rising all across the country, and Bihar seems to be no exception. We all remember how important the availability of hospital beds and oxygen cylinders became when the second wave of COVID-19 swept through India. Keeping in mind the negative impact the presently rising JN. 1 COVID variant can have, the Bihar health department has rung the warning bells. It has directed all the major or minor hospitals in Bihar to keep a strict check on the availability of hospital beds and oxygen cylinders so as to manage the situation if it worsens. Moreover, it has also directed the hospitals to conduct COVID-19 tests on patients who have symptoms of fever, cough, and respiratory diseases like ILI (influenza-like illness) and SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection).
The Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department of the Bihar government has issued the strict guidelines for COVID testing to all medical colleges, hospital superintendents, and also the civil surgeons of RMRI, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, and one of the most prestigieous institutions in Bihar, AIIMS Patna, as per a report by English Jagran.
India Reports 646 New Covid cases And One Death
India recorded 656 new COVID-19 cases and one death in the last 24 hours, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data showed on Sunday. According to the MoHFW data, a total of 656 new cases have been recorded in last 24 hours. The ministry said that there are a total of 3,742 active COVID cases in India.
A maximum of 128 cases were reported from Kerala, while Karnataka recorded 96 new infections. The COVID cases have been on the rise in India in the last few weeks. Centre and states have sounded alarm over the new JN.1 COVID variant. The cases of this new variant have been found not only in India but also in other countries like Singapore and England.
How Is The JN.1 Variant Different?
JN.1, from the lineage of Omicron variant of Covid, is rapidly driving a large share of the current winter wave of Covid-19 infections across the globe. First detected in Luxembourg in August, it is currently present in about 41 countries, including in India.
Due to its rapid spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) from the parent lineage BA.2.86. It was previously classified as VOI as part of BA.2.86 sublineages. The WHO said JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries.
The variant is also driving the number of infections in India. On Saturday, India saw a single-day rise of 752 coronavirus infections, the highest since May 21, 2023, while the active caseload has increased to 3,420, according to Union Health Ministry data. Twenty-two cases of JN.1 (21 from Goa and 1 from Kerala) have been detected in the country till December 21.
JN.1 is a descendent lineage of BA.2.86, with the earliest sample collected on 25 August, 2023. In comparison to BA.2.86, JN.1 has the additional L455S mutation in the spike protein, making it more transmissible. However, no signs of new or unusual symptoms caused by the virus have been reported yet. So far, the symptoms reported are mostly restricted to upper respiratory tract infections.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), changes to the symptoms being caused by different Covid variants depend on the now wide-ranging variety of antibodies that people have from either vaccinations, prior infections by different variants, or both.
(With inputs from agencies)