Maharashtra detects first case of JN.1 variant in Sindhudurg

COVID screening in the city at the height of the pandemic. State health officials say current oxygen facilities are double of what they were when COVID-19 cases were highest in Maharashtra. File pic

Maharashtra has detected its first case of sub-type of COVID-19 omicron variant JN.1 in a 41-year-old patient hailing from Sindhudurg. The state has ramped up surveillance in all the districts with testing of patients with influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI).

It is noteworthy that there is no evidence so far to suggest that a person infected with the JN.1 variant shows different symptoms than its predecessors, and neither is there any data to suggest that it is more severe.

Apart from Maharashtra, 19 cases of the variant were detected in Goa, and one was detected in Kerala. On Tuesday, December 19, Maharashtra reported 14 new COVID-19 cases - four in Mumbai, three in Thane, one in Raigad, four in Pune, and two in Pimpri Chinchwad.

Currently, there are 45 active cases, with 27 of them concentrated in the city. Even with the detection of JN.1, the dominant variant of COVID-19 in the state is Omicron XBB.1.16.

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare met with the state health officials on Wednesday to get an update on the COVID-19 situation. State health officials told mid-day that the central health ministry took stock of the available infrastructure and its capacity to handle a potential surge in cases.

"Along with that, we were asked about the overall situation, the testing figures, and the number of cases being reported," said a health official with the state's public health department, who was present in the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The states were also informed that guidelines would be updated in case the numbers started increasing further.

The health ministry also asked the states to conduct drills once every three months to avoid last-minute hurdles. Such drills were conducted at the district level in Maharashtra by nodal officers from December 15 onwards for three days. A total of 655 government hospitals, 575 private hospitals, 14 medical college hospitals, 14 private medical college hospitals, and six other medical facilities were part of this mock drill.

State takes review

State officials took a review of available beds, ICU facilities, oxygen facilities, drug stock, manpower, manpower training, and telemedicine facilities. "At present, Maharashtra has double the amount of oxygen facilities than what was available when COVID-19 cases were at their highest," said the health department official.

655
No. of government hospitals that took part in mock drill

Dec 15
3-day mock drill began in Maha districts