India records 1,226 cases of JN.1 Covid variant, highest from Karnataka, AP

New Delhi: A total of 1,226 cases of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been reported in the country so far with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh recording the highest number of cases till now, according to INSACOG on Thursday.

Data compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) showed that 17 states and UTs have detected the presence of the variant.

Karnataka has detected 234 cases of JN.1 sub-variant followed by Andhra Pradesh (189), Maharashtra (170), Kerala (156), West Bengal (96), Goa (90), Tamil Nadu (88) and Gujarat (76).

Rajasthan recorded 37 JN.1 cases, Telangana 32, Chhattisgarh 25, Delhi 16, Uttar Pradesh 7, Haryana five, Odisha three, and Uttarakhand and Nagaland one each, according to the data accessed by PTI.

The Centre has asked the states and Union Territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country.

The states have been urged to ensure effective compliance with the detailed operational guidelines for the revised surveillance strategy for Covid-19 shared with them by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The states have also been asked to regularly monitor and report district-wise cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) from all health facilities for early detection of a rising trend of Covid cases.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” (VOI) given its rapidly increasing spread but said it poses a “low” global public health risk.

The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a VOI as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.