Bhubaneswar: For the first time, two cases of new SARS-CoV2 sub-variant JN.1 detected in the State. The health condition of both the patients is stable.
“So far 28 Covid-19 positive cases have been detected in Odisha and all the samples were sent for genome sequencing, of which two were found to be JN.1 positive,” said Bijay Kumar Mohapatra, Director Health Services here today.
The JN.1 infected persons belong to Sundargarh district and Bhubaneswar in Khurda district. While the patient from Sundargarh district was under home-based treatment and completed his isolation period. None of his contact persons was found to be symptomatic, he said.
Similarly, an elderly woman, who was under treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, has also been infected with JN.1 sub-variant and her health condition is stable, Dr.Mohapatra said, adding, “We are following all protocols set for the JN.1 sub-variant”.
“There is no need to panic. Mutation of viruses into several variants and sub-variants is a normal process. Because JN.1 has been identified as a variant of importance, we have decided to send samples of all the Covid positive patients for genome sequencing,” the Director said.
Besides, the scientific community has said that the severity of the JN.1 variant has not yet been established. So, there is no need to panic, he added.
Asked about media reports about death of a Covid infected patient in Odisha, Dr.Mohapatra said, “No, we don’t have any report of death due to Covid. If there would be any such death, a medical audit will be done and then it will be reported.”
There are 25 active cases in Odisha and three persons have been recovered from the disease so far.
JN.1, a sub-variant of the Omicron lineage, is more transmissible as compared to the previous strains of this series. According to health experts, it spreads faster than the other Omicron variants and has common symptoms like fever, cough, cold, headache, gastrointestinal disorders and breathing issues.
Odisha is among 10 states in the country that have detected the presence of the new variant. So far, 511 cases of JN.1 have been found with Karnataka accounting for 199 cases, the highest among states, followed by 148 cases from Kerala. WHO has classified JN.1 as a separate variant of interest given its immune evasion capability and potential to spread rapidly.