Delhi reports first case of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 as India infections rise

NEW DELHI - Delhi reported its first case of JN.1, a sub-variant of Covid-19, on Wednesday amid a rise in viral infections in the country.

In India, the variant was first detected in Kerala on Dec 8 in a positive RT-PCR test sample of a 79-year-old woman.

So far 110 JN.1 cases have been found in nine states, including Gujarat, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

The WHO said recently that this new strain "may cause an increase in SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) cases amid surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season."

With coronavirus infections growing, Delhi's prestigious healthcare facility All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Wednesday set up a Covid-19 screening unit in its emergency section.

India recorded 529 fresh Covid-19 cases in a 24-hour period, taking the active infection count to 4,093 on Wednesday morning.

Three new deaths, two from Karnataka and one from Gujarat, were reported during the period. - BERNAMA