Fourfold jumps in active Covid cases, six deaths in one week, ICMR says ‘nothing to worry’

As many as six deaths have been reported due to Covid in the last one week as the active Covid cases have jumped fourfold during the period week with the figures spiraling up from 257 to 1,010. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra lead the pack in the spike in cases of the viral infection. Amid the rising trends in the cases, Dr Rajiv Behl, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said the severity of infections as of now is generally mild and there was no cause for worry.

Of the 1,010 active cases, 430 are from Kerala, which added 335 cases since May 19. Maharashtra stands second in the tally with 210 cases, 154 of which have been reported since last week, along with three deaths. Delhi has total 104 cases, which includes 99 cases since May 19. Tamil Nadu has recorded 69 cases, while UP has 15 cases. As per the health ministry data, a total six deaths have been reported since May 19 that includes three from Maharashtra, two from Kerala and one from Karnataka.

Dr Behl said genome sequencing of samples in the west and south have shown that the new variants are not severe and are Omicron sub-variants— LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB. 1.8.1. The first three are more prevalent, he added.

The ICMR DG said, “Samples from other places are being sequenced and we will know in a day or two if there are more variants.” He added there has been an uptick in cases –first from the south, then west and now from northern India. All these cases are being monitored through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). Besides that, ICMR’s nationwide respiratory virus sentinel surveillance network is keeping a watch on emerging infections and pathogens, he said.

“Whenever cases increase, we look at three things. It’s dependent on three factors with the first being how transmissible it is, conversely how fast the cases are increasing. Previously we saw Covid cases double in two days, but this time it is not that cases are increasing rapidly. “Secondly, are the new variants evading our previous immunity? When new variants come, they evade immunity — be it natural or from the vaccine. But there’s nothing to worry about at the moment,” Dr Behl said. He also said that the third factor is the percentage of severe cases in all Covid instances.