“Need to be alert, but…”: Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya after review meeting amid rise in Covid cases

In a review meeting involving health ministers from various states, the Health Ministry emphasized the imperative for a "Whole Of Government" approach to effectively combat the emerging JN.1 coronavirus variant. Designated as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its latest classification on Tuesday, the JN.1 strain, part of the parent lineage BA.2.86, has prompted increased vigilance while reassuringly posing a low global public health risk, as per current evidence.

Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya underscored collaboration between central and state governments, advocating for preparedness rather than panic. "We need to be alert, but there is no need to panic. Let us do mock drills in all hospitals once every 3 months. There should be no laxity in our preparation, and I assure all support of the Centre to the states," he stated. Kerala Health Minister Veena George echoed the sentiment, emphasizing increased surveillance and regular mock drills in hospitals.

Union Health Minister Dr @mansukhmandviya virtually chaired a high level meeting with health Ministers of various states to access the current status and preparedness on COVID 19.

MoS (Health) Prof @spsinghbaghelpr and @DrBharatippawar, Health Minister of Uttarakhand Shri… pic.twitter.com/uigH7V8S4a

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) December 20, 2023

India's first case of JN.1 was detected in Kerala on December 8, with an earlier case identified in a traveller from Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli district in Singapore.

Reassurance from WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affirms that current vaccines remain effective against severe disease and death caused by JN.1 and other circulating variants of the COVID-19 virus. The CDC reported that the JN.1 subvariant constitutes approximately 15% to 29% of cases in the United States as of December 8, highlighting the potential for an updated vaccine to provide continued protection against the variant.

China has also detected seven infections of the JN.1 subvariant, indicating its global presence. The evolving situation calls for ongoing collaboration and preparedness measures to mitigate the impact of the JN.1 variant on public health.

The central and state governments are actively engaging in comprehensive strategies, including surveillance, testing, and hospital preparedness, to address the challenges posed by the JN.1 variant. Regular monitoring and swift response mechanisms are key components of the national strategy to navigate the evolving landscape of COVID-19 variants.

In the last 24 hours, Kerala reported 292 fresh COVID infections, bringing the total active cases in the state to 2,041. No deaths due to the virus were reported from the state during this period.