As JN.1 Variant Raises Global Concerns, WHO Reports 52 Per cent Surge In Fresh COVID-19 Cases - India Records 752 New Infections In 24 Hours

In a concerning development, India has reported 752 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, marking the highest surge in seven months and more than double the infections reported the previous day.

Additionally, four related deaths were recorded during this period, compared to one reported yesterday, as per reports by NDTV.

The spike in cases is attributed to the emergence of a new variant, JN.1, which has raised alarms among authorities and health experts.

The active cases in India today stand at 3,420, adding 423 cases to yesterday's figure of 2,997, showed the health ministry dashboard.

Noida, after months of respite, reported its first COVID-19 case, involving a 54-year-old resident working in Gurugram.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the overall global trend, noting a 52 per cent increase in new cases in the past four weeks.

However, the number of new deaths decreased by 8 per cent during the same period.

As of 17 December, the global tally stands at over 772 million confirmed cases and nearly seven million deaths since the onset of the pandemic.

The WHO highlights the increased burden of respiratory infections globally, with over 118,000 new COVID-19 hospitalizations and more than 1600 new intensive care unit (ICU) admissions recorded.

JN.1, a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant (BA.2.86), has been designated a separate variant of interest (VOI) due to its rapid increase in prevalence in recent weeks.

While the WHO currently assesses the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 as low, concerns persist as winter in the Northern Hemisphere may increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries.

Despite the emergence of new variants, the WHO reassures the public that current vaccines continue to offer protection against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

In addition to COVID-19, other respiratory diseases such as influenza, RSV, and common childhood pneumonia are on the rise.

The WHO advises individuals to take preventive measures, including wearing masks in crowded or poorly ventilated areas, maintaining a safe distance from others, practicing respiratory etiquette, regular hand hygiene, and getting tested if experiencing symptoms or exposure to COVID-19 or influenza.