COVID-19 resurgence in India: 4 die in Maharashtra; what experts say

As some states in India have reported new COVID-19 cases linked to the JN.1 variant, doctors have advised people not to panic, saying the strain is not severe and most patients have only reported mild symptoms.

Also read: India sees mild surge in COVID cases; 'no cause for alarm', say health experts

Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network (IMA JDN) national spokesperson Dr. Dhruv Chauhan said that people need not panic about the JN.1 variant, a descendant of the Omicron BA.2.86 lineage, which is the predominant Covid-19 strain circulating in India.

"This is not a lethal variant and it's always better to take precautions like maintaining hand hygiene, wearing masks where necessary such as in hospitals or crowded places and following respiratory hygiene. It is also important to get your symptoms checked by a qualified doctor," said Dr. Chauhan.

"The public should remember that panic and chaos can cause more health issues than the disease itself," he added.

Dr. Nihal Singh, an internal medicine specialist, said, "We must understand that while the JN.1 variant is spreading, it has not shown signs of causing serious illness in the majority of cases." "Panic doesn't help, awareness does. There's no need for fear, only sensible precautions," he added.

Dr. Aviral Mathur, Associate Consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, said "this strain is highly transmissible, though symptoms remain mostly mild".

"Still, prevention is key. We urge the public to wear masks in crowded or enclosed spaces, practice hand hygiene and avoid unnecessary travel if unwell. Make sure your vaccinations, including booster doses, are up to date," he added.

The health experts reiterate that while the JN.1 variant is not lethal, simple preventive measures can go a long way in keeping communities safe.

What WHO said

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a “variant of interest” due to its rapid transmission, though it has not been labelled a “variant of concern," at least for now.

Its descendants, LF.7 and NB.1.8 are now under global observation, with several countries of interest to continue monitoring it.

Let us take a look at some of the states that have reported Covid cases and deaths.

Maharashtra

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has reported that a man who tested positive for Covid has died from severe comorbidities-related complications at the Thane Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj hospital at Kalwa on Saturday morning (May 24).

Thane has seen a rise with 45 new cases of COVID reported on Friday by the state health department.

A 21-year-old man suffering from severe diabetes died due to "comorbidities" at the TMC's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital at Kalwa in the morning, a TMC release said.

Also read: India reports slight increase in COVID cases amid new wave in Asia

He had been admitted on Thursday due to diabetes-related complications and his COVID-19 test came out positive on Friday night, said hospital superintendent Dr Aniruddha Malgaonkar.

A 19-bed ward has been set up at the hospital for COVID-19 patients and it is equipped with RT-PCR testing facilities, he informed.

There are a total of 18 active Covid patients in Thane, TMC said, adding that only one of them is undergoing treatment at hospital while others are in home isolation. Their condition has been said to be stable, with very mild symptoms reported.

While Mumbai logged 35 new cases, Pune reported four fresh Covid cases, while two each were reported from Raigad and Kolhapur and one each from Thane and Latur.

Three deaths had been reported till Saturday – all from Mumbai. The third death was reported on Friday, according to an official statement from the state health department.

Also read: COVID deaths under-reported: Gujarat tops; Kerala accurate, says govt data

Maharashtra has stepped up government medical surveillance to identify Covid-19 cases and prevent any further spread. January to date, a total of 6,891 samples were tested and 210 persons were detected with COVID-19. 85 people have recovered from the disease, according to the government.

Telangana

A COVID case was reported in Hyderabad, and the patient, a pulmonologist, has fully recovered, officials said on Friday. Telangana Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha convened a high-level review meeting to assess the current COVID scenario in the state and preparedness of the health department to effectively manage seasonal diseases, COVID cases. An official release said that while cases have seen a slight increase, there has been no need for hospitalisation or increased intensive care.

Also read: India’s 2020 COVID death toll was 8 times official figure, 11.9 lakh higher: Study

Karnataka

A gradual uptick in COVID cases in Karnataka over the past few days has begun to unsettle the people in the state, but state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday asked people to stay calm and continue with their daily routines.

Rao said, “I appeal to everyone not to panic because when you see reports in the media that COVID-19 has returned to haunt people, people get alarmed." He also appealed to the media to present an accurate picture of the situation and not exaggerate the severity of the COVID-19 disease, which became a pandemic five years ago.

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The Health Minister’s reaction came in the wake of a statement issued by his department on Friday, which said 35 COVID cases have been reported in the state, including 32 in Bengaluru alone.

The Minister also said the state government is on alert and has taken all necessary precautions to contain the spread of the virus.

Rao also clarified that there are no COVID-related restrictions and people can move around freely.

“People can go and come from any part of the country. People can lead their lives in a normal way,” he said.

Delhi

The national capital has seen a rise in cases, reporting 23 new COVID-19 cases and prompting the Delhi government to issue an advisory asking all hospitals to prepare for the availability of beds, oxygen, medicines and vaccines.

This is the first time that Delhi has reported COVID-19 cases after nearly three years.

Also read: COVID-19 cases spike again in Singapore, Hong Kong. Cause of concern for India?

On Friday, Health Minister Pankaj Singh said that 23 COVID cases have been reported till Thursday (May 22), and the government is verifying the details of whether patients are residents of Delhi or have a travel history outside the city. The Health Minister assured the citizens that there is no need to panic, saying that these cases were reported from private labs.

"The health condition of all 23 covid patients is fine. We have already held meetings with hospital authorities and we are ready to deal with any kind of situation. The government has constituted a team of eight senior officers to monitor the situation," the health minister told reporters.

The advisory from the government stated, "The hospitals must ensure preparedness in terms of availability of beds, oxygen, antibiotics, other drugs and vaccine. All equipment such as ventilators, Bi-PAP, oxygen concentrators and PSA (prostate-specific antigen) must be in functional condition."

According to the advisory, refresher training of dedicated staff may be conducted and daily reporting of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in all health facilities (OPD/IPD) on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal must be ensured. Confirmed influenza and Covid-19 cases may also be reported on IHIP under the L form.

The advisory also states that respiratory etiquette is to be followed, including the wearing of masks on hospital premises and health facilities.

Kerala

The Kerala government had reported the maximum number of COVID cases with 273 infections in May, prompting the Health Minister to direct all districts to increase surveillance and testing.

The state has made masks mandatory in hospitals, and has advised people with cough symptoms to wear face coverings.

Also read: 5 years of Covid lockdown: From WFH to OTT, 5 changes that stayed on

Amid the spike in cases in Kerala, state Health Minister Veena George has urged all districts in the southern state to increase Covid-19 surveillance.

The highest number was in Kottayam with 82 cases, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 73, Ernakulam with 49, Pathanamthitta with 30, and Thrissur with 26.

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has also seen a recent increase, with 12 new cases reported in Puducherry.

In Chennai, doctors say fevers initially attributed to influenza are increasingly testing positive for COVID-19.

Also read: Painkiller abuse in Tamil Nadu sparks HIV, Hepatitis fears

Dr T S Selvavinayagam, the state's public health director, advised caution in crowded spaces but said there was no need for panic. “Covid-19 never truly disappeared — it continues to circulate at low levels with seasonal surges,” he said.

Gujarat

Gujarat is another Indian state that has witnessed a sharp upward curve in its COVID graph.

At least 34 people have tested positive, with the capital city, Ahmedabad itself, logging 20 cases.

Also read: Kerala tops the chart as India makes significant gains in maternal and child health

Out of the 34 active Covid patients in Gujarat, only two is currently admitted to a hospital, as per officials. Officials asked that citizens not panic and create chaos, saying that the situation was well under control.

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh has confirmed four Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours — three in Visakhapatnam and one in the Rayalaseema region.

State Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said a woman in Vizag tested positive on Thursday, followed by her family member and a postgraduate medical student who tested positive on Friday (May 23).

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(With agency inputs)