"Current Covid variants in India transmissible but not severe": Dr Arjun Dang
New Delhi: The number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 1,010, on May 27. According to medical experts, the symptoms are similar to cold or flu symptoms.
Amid rising sample requests in the wake of a fresh infection wave, Dr Arjun Dang, CEO of Dr Dangs Lab, said the laboratory is witnessing a surge in testing.
Speaking to ANI, Dr Dang stated that the number of samples has increased, "There has been an increase in the number of sample requests that we are receiving. But this time, we are better prepared, more informed, and we have better surveillance tools. With the scientific tests that we have, we are in a good place from the preparedness perspective to face this effectively and minimise any kind of damage that the current wave might cause."
He further said the circulating variants are subvariants of Omicron showing mild symptoms, "We must understand that the current spreading variants are again a sublineage of the Omicron virus. Additionally, in states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, we have certain other sub-variants as well that have been named as Variants Under Monitoring, and these are basically of two types, that is, LF7 and NV.1.8.1. Currently, the cases that we are seeing are more transmissible. They can infect people easily, but again, from the severity perspective, till now, we have not seen any severe cases."
"All of these are actually presenting as common cold and flu, and the usual symptoms that we have in any kind of common cold, even the hospitalisations, have been minimal," Dang said.
Dr Arjun also said that majorly since few days testing has been increased, "I think, may this month had started on a very low note with minimal cases, but I think in the past five to seven days is when we've seen a major uptake and now we are getting significantly high cases to test on a daily basis."
Recently, in an Exclusive interview with ANI, Dr Rajiv Bahl, DG, ICMR, said the government is focusing on transmission, surveillance, and preparedness, but currently circulating variants have mild symptoms like Omicron.
"The government and health agencies are closely monitoring COVID-19 cases and taking necessary steps. Currently, the number of active cases is low, and most cases are limited to southern and western India. The government is focusing on three key factors. The rate of transmission and the rapidly increasing cases. Whether the virus is evading our natural and vaccine-induced immunity. Whether the current infections are more severe than before or have mild symptoms like Omicron."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times of Oman
14 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India's defence exports top ₹21,000 crore
India's defence manufacturing sector has surged to unprecedented heights, posting a record production figure of ₹1.27 lakh crore in the fiscal year 2023–24, the Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday. This remarkable milestone underscores a decade of concerted effort to wean the armed forces off foreign suppliers and build a homegrown arsenal of cutting-edge platforms. In parallel with production gains, defence exports have rocketed to ₹21,083 crore in 2023–24—a thirty-fold rise over ten years—reaching customers in more than a hundred countries. Driven by the government's 'Make in India' initiative, a suite of indigenously developed systems has taken shape, from the Dhanush artillery gun and the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) to the Arjun main battle tank and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. Naval capabilities have also been bolstered by a flotilla of domestically built vessels: destroyers, frigates, corvettes, fast patrol and attack craft, offshore patrol vessels—and even India's first fully indigenous aircraft carrier. Rotary-wing assets like the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), alongside missile and radar systems such as Akash surface-to-air missiles, weapon-locating radars, and 3D tactical control radars, reflect a breadth of innovation. The shift to self-reliance is stark: once import-dependent for upwards of 65–70 percent of its requirements, India now sources roughly 65 percent of its defence hardware locally. A defence industrial base encompassing 16 public sector undertakings, over 430 license-holding private firms and some 16,000 micro, small and medium enterprises has emerged as the backbone of this transformation. The private sector alone accounted for 21 percent of total production last year, bringing fresh efficiencies and entrepreneurial drive to an ecosystem long dominated by state entities. The government's sustained investment—evidenced by the defence budget climbing from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013–14 to a projected ₹6.81 lakh crore for 2025–26—has provided the financial muscle for research, development and large-scale manufacturing. Building on this momentum, officials have set an ambitious target: reaching ₹3 lakh crore in annual production by 2029, cementing India's status as a global defence manufacturing hub. As strategic partnerships deepen and technology transfers accelerate, New Delhi's vision of an autonomous, innovation-driven defence sector is rapidly taking shape—signaling a new era in which India supplies the world, rather than the other way around.
Times of Oman
15 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India A vs England Lions Day 1: Nair's redemption arc to continue on 186*, Jurel dazzles with rollicking 82*
Canterbury: Karun Nair's redemption arc is bound to continue on Day 2 after he shattered the England Lions' backbone with his scorching display with the bat. At the same time, Dhruv Jurel pushed his case for a spot in India's playing XI for the upcoming five Tests in England, scheduled to begin on June 20. At the end of the opening day of the first unofficial Test between India A and England Lions, the touring party piled up 409/3 on the board, with Nair and Jurel unbeaten with scores of 186(246) and 82(104), respectively. India A dominated the entire opening day to turn the contest into a lopsided affair, courtesy of Nair's rip-roaring display that lasted most of the first session and the remainder of the day. He upped the ante after India A lost its opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran early in the opening day. The final session reflected Nair and Jurel's sheer dominance. They nullified the spin and pace traps laid out by the hosts to derail their progress. India A lost Sarfaraz Ahmed on 92 and the 181-run partnership for the third wicket in the first over after the tea break; Jurel joined Nair at the crease and adopted a swift approach to keep the scoreboard ticking. With Jurel firing all cylinders and Nair increasing his tempo, the duo added 182 runs to stamp India's authority in the final session. The duo lashed out at any loose delivery that landed in their arc. Nair sprinted for a single, bringing up his 150 in the 73rd over off Rehan Ahmed. In the 80th over, Jurel targeted the deep backward point to find the boundary rope and lift his bat for a valiant half-century. Jurel picked up the pace from that point and dealt with boundaries to lift India to a fighting total and end the day with an unbeaten 177-run partnership. Before Jurel and Nair enchanted the spectators with their sizzling display on Canterbury's green strip, Sarfaraz and Nair took the mantle of ensuring India remained unscathed in the second innings. After lunch, they batted their hearts out and made England Lions toil for wickets. While in the opening session, after being put to bat, skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran and the young sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal came out to open with hopes of getting valuable game time before the five high-stakes fixtures between the two modern-day giants. Easwaran, a household name in India's domestic circuit and with a plethora of experience in the red-ball format, couldn't conjure up a consequential performance. He oozed confidence, took his time to open his account, and left the deliveries that travelled in the corridor of uncertainty but got undone by a single delivery and returned cheaply on 8(17). With picture-perfect strokes, the 29-year-old found the boundary rope twice but got pinned in front of the stumps by Josh Hull. On the other hand, Jaiswal dazzled on the crease with a blend of aggression and composure. He switched his tempo according to the demands of the delivery and garnered three boundaries and a towering maximum. With runs flowing from his bat with a touch of elegance, Jaiswal's downfall came down to his aggressive mindset. The 23-year-old switched to white ball mode, took a wild swing at Eddie Jack's delivery and gave away an edge to England Lions captain and wicketkeeper James Rew, who confirmed his return ticket on 24(55).
Times of Oman
16 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India: Rajasthan reports 54 COVID-19 cases, one death
Jaipur: Amid rising COVID-19 cases in parts of the country, Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh said on Friday that the state has reported 54 cases and one death so far. The minister clarified that the death was linked to comorbidities, particularly tuberculosis, and that the current variant in circulation resembles the common flu. "So far, 54 cases have been reported, and one death has occurred. However, the patient was severely affected by tuberculosis. As of now, only one patient is admitted to SMS Hospital--a child infected with the Omicron variant, which is not very serious. It presents symptoms similar to the common flu. There is no cause for concern at the moment. There's no significant spread at the moment, but people are still advised to take necessary precautions," Singh told ANI. According to the Information and Public Relations Department, 15 new cases were reported on Friday--one each from AIIMS Jodhpur, Rabindranath Tagore Medical College (RNT), Sawai Man Singh Medical College (SMS), Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS), and Government Medical College (GMC), Udaipur. District-wise COVID-19 cases in Rajasthan are: Jaipur - 33, Udaipur - 10, Jodhpur - 8, Bikaner - 5, Didwana - 5, Ajmer - 2, Balotra - 2, Dausa - 1, Phalodi - 1, Sawai Madhopur - 1, and others - 1. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed that while COVID-19 cases were reported again in parts of the country, the current variants in circulation were showing mild symptoms similar to the Omicron strain. Arjun Dang, Chief Executive Officer of Dr. Dangs Lab, said the rising number of cases was attributed to more transmissible sub-variants. "We must understand that the current spreading variants are again a sublineage of the Omicron virus. Additionally, in states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, we have certain other sub-variants that have been named Variants Under Monitoring, and these are basically of two types, LF7 and NV181. Currently, the cases that we are seeing are more transmissible. They can infect people easily, but again, from the severity perspective, till now, we have not seen any severe cases," Dang told ANI.
