682 cases of JN.1 recorded in 12 states till Jan 6: Sources

NEW DELHI: A total of 682 cases of the JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19 have been reported from 12 states across the country till January 6, according to sources. Both the central and state governments are keeping a close watch on the new Omicron subvariant JN1.

So far, 199 cases were reported in Karnataka, 148 in Kerala, 139 in Maharashtra, 47 in Goa, 36 from Gujarat, 30 each from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, 26 in Tamil Nadu, 21 in New Delhi, three in Odisha, two in Telangana and one in Haryana.

As per the sources, 1,339 samples were sent for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in December 2023, while 665 samples were sent in January 2024. These samples were collected between November 10 and December 31, 2023. The majority of the cases were home isolated.

The JN.1 is a Variant of Interest (VOI) that is under intense scientific scrutiny. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86. However, the global health body emphasised that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.

Meanwhile, India recorded 605 fresh Covid-19 cases and four deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the official data.The active cases have increased to 4,002, while the country’s overall Covid case tally stands at over 4.5 crore (4,50,18,792).

The death toll was recorded at 5,33,396 with four new deaths — two from Kerala and one each in Karnataka and Tripura — reported in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. The number of people who have recovered from the disease has gone up to 4,44,81,341, an increase of 648 since Sunday morning.

In Kerala, a 70-year-old male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and an 81-year-old male with T2DM and HTN, and in Karnataka, a 48-year-old male with CA and TB died, while one person in Tripura succumbed to Covid.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) reported that 11,838 doses of the vaccine had been administered in the country till January 7. The data is a compilation of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (National Centre for Disease Control), media bulletins and websites of various States at 8 am on January 4. (ANI)