Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao holds meeting after Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 detected in Kerala woman

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao held an emergency meeting on Saturday after a sub-variant of Covid, JN.1, was detected in a 79-year-old woman in Kerala. During the meeting with the health department, it was decided that the border between the two states will remain open for now.

The Health Minister said all the district hospitals in Karnataka have been informed to take appropriate measures to curb the spread of the virus. Further, the district health authorities were asked to do an audit on the availability of oxygen cylinders, beds, and medicines and stock up on the essential items to ensure there are no shortages.

Dinesh Gundu Rao also said mock drills should be conducted, so health authorities are prepared for any kind of situation.

He asked people not to panic and requested them to follow the necessary precautions, including wearing masks and using sanitisers.

ABOUT COVID SUB-VARIANT JN.1

Authorities in Kerala are also ramping up their efforts after the new variant was detected.

The variant is currently spreading in the US and China. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier said the JN.1 sub-variant makes up about an estimated 15 per cent to 29 per cent of cases in the United States as of December 8.

Dr Ujjwal Parakh, a senior consultant in the department of chest medicine at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said after a virus has mutated, its infectivity increases, which is what is being said about the JN.1 variant.

“It will spread more, but that doesn’t mean it will be more severe. From what has been reported so far, people have mild symptoms of cough, cold, headache, sore throat and fever. And they recover within 4-5 days,” he told ANI news agency.

He reiterated that it is a “mild” sub-variant, but there is a need for increased testing and vigilance among the authorities.