Covid JN.1: India's Chandigarh makes wearing masks mandatory in public places amid recent uptick in cases

Amid a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases attributed to the recently discovered JN.1 variant, several Indian states have promptly implemented preemptive measures in response to the escalating infections, issuing health advisories that stress the imperative of mask-wearing and widespread testing.

Recent numberspaint a worrisome picture

In the last 24 hours, the nation reported a total of 358 new Covid cases, with an alarming 300 cases emerging in Kerala alone. Tragically, six Covid-related deaths were documented during this period. India currently has 2,669 active Covid cases, marking December 20 as the day with the highest daily figure, 614 cases, since May.

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Despite being categorised as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organisation, the JN.1 subvariant of Covid is presently deemed to pose no significant risk, according to the latest data from the health ministry dashboard.

Identified symptoms associated with the Covid subvariant JN.1 include fever, runny nose, sore throat, headaches, occasional gastrointestinal issues, severe fatigue, exhaustion, and muscle weakness. Medical experts strongly advise seeking a Covid test if these symptoms persist for more than two days.

Expert Caution from formerWHO chief

Former WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, addressing the surge in infections, cautions against underestimating Covid as a common cold.

Dr Swaminathan, who spoke exclusively to NDTV - has cautioned against dismissing Covid as a common cold, not just because of the people who fall severely ill, but because of the long-term effects of the disease, including increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and mental health problems.

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Swaminathan warns about the possibility of new variants becoming more transmissible over time.

She stressed on the variant's potential to evade existing antibody responses, posing a risk of recurrent waves of infections among previously infected individuals.

(With inputs from agencies)