NEW DELHI: Two more persons with Covid-19 died in the last 24 hours, taking the capital’s death toll for this year to three. The city documented 81 fresh infections since Friday, with the current active caseload standing at 375. Across India, the total number of active Covid-19 cases climbed to 3,395.As reported by the Union health ministry’s Covid-19 dashboard on Saturday, the deceased were identified as a 60-year-old woman who experienced acute intestinal obstruction following abdominal surgery and tested positive for Covid-19, and a 71-year-old man with pneumonia, septic shock and acute kidney injury (AKI).Maharashtra has 467 active cases of Covid-19, Delhi 375Kerala leads with 1,336 Covid-19 positive cases, whilst Maharashtra and Delhi follow with 467 and 375 cases, respectively. Other states, including Gujarat, Karnataka, and West Bengal, have also surpassed 200 cases, but their situation remains less severe compared to the top three affected regions.Dr Romel Tickoo, director of Internal Medicine at Max Hospital, Saket, indicated that during May 2024, India witnessed minimal Covid-19 activity, with very few active cases across the country. Nevertheless, by May 2025, the situation changed with a notable rise in case numbers. “Despite its increased transmissibility, JN.1 does not appear to cause severe illness in most cases. However, the symptoms remained largely similar to those observed in the previous year,” he said.The JN.1 variant, a sub-lineage of the Omicron BA.2.86 strain, has become predominant in India, accounting for about 95% of recent cases.Explaining the nature of the new strain of Covid-19 currently circulating, Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant, internal medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said that NB.1.8.1 and LF.7 are sub-lineages of JN.1, which itself is a descendant of earlier Omicron strains. They are not entirely new variants but evolved forms with additional mutations. Compared to the Delta variant, which was associated with severe lower respiratory tract infections, the current sub-variants primarily cause milder, upper respiratory symptoms. They are more transmissible but generally less severe, especially among vaccinated individuals.The precautions for the current wave of Covid-19 remain the same as in previous phases. Dr Neetu Jain, senior consultant in pulmonology, critical care, and sleep medicine at PSRI Hospital, advised that individuals should wear masks, particularly in crowded spaces and indoor venues, while maintaining distance from people displaying flu-like symptoms, including cough, cold or nasal congestion.She emphasised that those with symptoms should self-isolate and keep track of their health. The treatment protocol should focus on supportive measures such as staying hydrated and using paracetamol for fever management. She cautioned against self-administering antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.
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