COVID-19: Uttarakhand government issues advisory on JN.1 sub-variant
Dehradun: Uttarakhand government is on high alert regarding the new JN.1 sub-variant of corona virus and has issued an advisory in this regard. Health Secretary R Rajesh Kumar said that the number of patients of JN.1 variant is increasing in some states. In response, an advisory has been issued to all districts and hospitals in the state, emphasizing on making every possible effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Health Secretary has directed all District Magistrates and Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) to follow the guidelines for Covid-19 prevention in hospitals. Additionally, respiratory, lung and heart patients should be closely monitored and individuals with cases of influenza should be tested.
Hospitals in the state have been instructed to enter all the information of such patients on the Integrated Health Information Platform portal. Apart from this, emphasis is also being laid on increasing awareness about respiratory hygiene among the public.
So far, no cases of the new COVID-19 variant, JN.1, have been reported in the state. However, as a precautionary measure, all hospitals in the state have been put on alert.. Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has warned people above 60 years of age, those with heart and kidney diseases and those suffering from fever, cough, etc. amid the fear of the JN.1 subvariant. And people with cold have been ordered to wear masks compulsorily.
Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has announced that the state government will issue an order on Tuesday after the JN.1 subvariant of coronavirus was detected in Kerala.
India’s COVID-19 situation is under control, with the active caseload standing at 1,828 as of Monday. However, one death was reported in Kerala, where the JN.1 subvariant of the coronavirus was recently detected. JN.1 was first detected in the United States in September 2023.
In view of the increase in respiratory diseases and the new JN.1 COVID sub-variant, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the virus is evolving and changing and urged member countries to continue robust surveillance and sequence sharing.
