India Records 702 Fresh COVID Cases and 6 Deaths in Last 24 Hours; Active Cases at 4,097

The recent surge in Covid-19 cases continued on Thursday, with 702 new infections reported across the country, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The country's active caseload now stands at 4,097. Concurrently, six Covid-related deaths were recorded, with Maharashtra reporting two, and one each in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, and Delhi in the past 24 hours.

Amidst growing concerns about the JN.1 variant of the coronavirus, Delhi reported its first case of the JN.1 coronavirus sub-variant on Wednesday, as confirmed by City Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj.

The JN.1 variant, classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant. In the United States, it accounts for over 44 per cent of cases. In India, the JN.1 variant has been detected across several states, with 109 reported cases as of December 26. Gujarat and Karnataka have the highest numbers, with 36 and 34 cases, followed by Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.

Experts emphasize that although highly transmissible, the JN.1 variant primarily causes mild symptoms similar to a common cold, affecting the upper respiratory tract. Authorities continue to closely monitor the situation amid efforts to curb the spread of the variant across the country.