Covid In India: 4 New Sub Variants Found, Infection Severity Mild, Says ICMR Chief
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Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research Dr Rajiv Behl emphasised that while cases aren't severe and there's no need to worry, it's always wise to stay vigilant.
As India is witnessing an uptick in Covid cases, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Rajiv Behl on Monday said the severity of infections as of now is generally mild and there was no cause for worry.
While speaking about the new Covid variants being traced, Dr Behl said that genome sequencing of samples from West and South India have shown that the new variants are not severe and are Omicron sub-variants. These are LF.7 series, XFG series, JN.1 series and NB.1.8.1 series, reported news agency PTI.
He further said that the ICMR is sequencing samples from other regions also to identify any new variants.
The ICMR DG further said there has been an uptick in cases –first from the south, then west and now from northern India. All these cases are being monitored through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
He further emphasised that while cases aren't severe and there's no need to worry, it's always wise to stay vigilant.
'We have been closely monitoring the situation. We should be vigilant at this moment, but there is no cause to worry. The general public should be vigilant. There is no need to take any such action as of now," he said.
'Whenever cases increase, we look at three things. It's dependent on three factors with the first being how transmissible it is, conversely how fast the cases are increasing. Previously we saw Covid cases double in two days, but this time it is not that cases are increasing rapidly. Secondly, are the new variants evading our previous immunity? When new variants come, they evade immunity — be it natural or from the vaccine. But there's nothing to worry about at the moment," Dr Behl said.
He also said that the third factor is the percentage of severe cases in all Covid instances.
'Are we getting a very severe disease without comorbidities? As of now, the severity is generally low. There's nothing to worry about. We should be vigilant and we should always be prepared," the ICMR DG asserted.
Besides that, ICMR's nationwide respiratory virus sentinel surveillance network is keeping a watch on emerging infections and pathogens, he said.
Covid Cases In India
Delhi reported at least 104 Covid-19 cases during the last week, while Kerala and Maharashtra have logged 430 and 209 new cases respectively in the same period, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
A total of 1,009 active cases have been reported from across India, including 12 in West Bengal, 13 in Rajasthan, 15 in Uttar Pradesh, 69 in Tamil Nadu, 47 in Karnataka and 83 in Gujarat.
Several states including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka have seen an uptick in fresh infections. However, most of these cases have been classified as mild and are being managed through home isolation, officials added.
As of May 2025, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies LF.7 and NB.1.8 subvariants as Variants Under Monitoring, not as Variants of Concern or Variants of Interest. But these are the variants that are reportedly driving the rise in Covid cases in China and parts of Asia.
(With inputs from PTI)
First Published:
May 26, 2025, 20:11 IST
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