760 new Covid-19 infections in India, two deaths

A single-day rise of 760 new cases of Covid were recorded in the country as two more deaths have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours--one each in Kerala and Karnataka, according to data provided by the Union Health Ministry on Thursday. The total active caseload of the viral disease was logged at 4,423, a decrease of 17 since Wednesday morning, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (MoHFW).

The data is a compilation of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (National Centre for Disease Control), media bulletins and websites of various States at 8 am on January 4. With this, the total count of coronavirus cases in India since its outbreak in January 2020 has reached 4,50,15,896. The death toll due to COVID-19 cases in India has risen to 533373, reflecting an increase of two deaths.

In Kerala, a 39-year-old male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and in Karnataka a 65-year-old male with Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis, Portal Vein Thrombosis, diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) succumbed to Covid. A total of 5, 31,342 tests were done on January 3 as per the official report by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Both the central and state governments are keeping a close watch on the new Omicron Subvariant JN.1.

JN.1 is a Variant of Interest (VOI) which is under intense scientific scrutiny. As of December 16, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 7,344 cases of Covid-19 JN.1 subvariant from 41 countries, whereas 145 cases of JN.1 subvariant were reported in India till December 28, as per official sources. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86. However, the global health body emphasised that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.