NEW DELHI, India – As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, India has reported 756 new cases and five deaths within the past 24 hours. Maharashtra, Kerala, and Jammu & Kashmir are among the regions reporting the latest fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry. The total number of active cases in the country has decreased to 4,049, down from 4,187 the previous day. Since the start of the pandemic in January 2020, India has recorded a total of 4,50,18,134 confirmed cases and 5,33,392 deaths.
A new subvariant of the Omicron variant, known as JN.1, has been identified in several states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha, and Haryana, according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG). Although cases of the JN.1 variant have been reported, data suggests that it is not significantly contributing to new cases, hospitalizations, or deaths. The affected states collectively reported 619 cases of the subvariant, with Karnataka leading at 199 cases and Kerala at 148 cases.
Furthermore, India has administered a total of 2,20,67,79,081 COVID-19 vaccine doses. With the onset of winter and an escalation in the cold wave, health experts are drawing attention to a sudden increase in viral infections, influenza, and COVID-19 cases. This comes as a senior pulmonologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital highlights the potential health risks associated with the falling temperatures, fog, pollution, and smog.
It is important to note that the overall recovery rate in India stands at 98.81%, with over 4.4 crore individuals having recovered from COVID-19. The country has seen a total of 239 COVID-19 cases with the JN.1 variant in December 2023 and 24 cases in November 2023. The increase in viral infections, influenza, and COVID-19 cases during the winter months is a matter of concern, as health authorities continue to monitor the situation and encourage vaccination efforts.