Covid variant JN.1: Maha govt directs health dept to ensure availability of oxygen cylinders, ventilators
Covid variant JN.1: Maha govt directs health dept to ensure availability of oxygen cylinders, ventilators
In the wake of the new
Covid variant JN.1 which has touched Kerala, Karnataka and Goa with few cases, and for precautionary measures,
Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Bansode at a meeting in Latur on Saturday,has issued directives to the health department to take precautionary measures and ensure the availability of necessary equipment and medicines at all government-run facilities in all the hospitals.
Bamsode further added that the administration ensures that necessary equipment and medicines will be made available at tehsil health centres. The condition of oxygen plants should also be checked.
The construction of primary health centres and other health institutions in the district should be completed soon, and necessary steps must be taken to make them functional, he added.
At Vilasrao Deshmukh Government Medical College, fifty beds have been reserved for Covid cases, and a mock drill was also conducted to inspect ventilators and oxygen facilities.
The JN.1 Covid variant (BA.2.86.1.1) emerged in August in Luxembourg and is a descendant of the BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola) of SARS COV2.
According to the Union health ministry’s updated data on Sunday, a total of 656 new Covid-19 cases were reported in last 24 hours, while the active cases have increased to 3,742.
Earlier on Saturday, a multifold spurt in fresh Covid cases was noted in India, with Kerala contributing the majority of those.
A total of 423 cases were reported, of which 266 were from Kerala and 70 from neighbouring Karnataka, Union health ministry data showed.
Two deaths were also reported in Kerala.
According to a reports citing India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora, no additional dose of vaccine is needed against the subvariant at present.
Dr.Arora further added that
prevention is required for all those who are 60 years of age or older, who are likely to have comorbidities and those who are on drugs that suppress our immunity, like cancer patients. If they have not taken precaution so far, then they are advised to take precaution; otherwise, there is no need for any additional doses.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86.
The WHO has urged the countries in the Southeast Asia region to strengthen surveillance and asked people to take protective measures in view of rising cases of respiratory diseases including influenza and Covid sub-variant JN.1.
As per Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South-East Asia, in a statement, the COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing and ensure the sharing of data.
News Edit K.V.Raman
