COVID-19 Cases Surge in India: What You Need to Know About the Latest Variants

Current COVID-19 Situation in India

New Delhi: The number of active COVID-19 cases in India has surpassed 4,000, with Kerala being the most impacted state, followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Delhi, as per the latest data from the Union Health Ministry released on Tuesday.

Currently, there are 4,026 active cases across the nation, and five new fatalities have been reported in the past 24 hours.

Since the beginning of January, the country has recorded a total of 37 deaths.

The active case count was just 257 on May 22, which escalated to 3,395 by May 31, and now stands at 4,026.

Kerala leads with 1,446 active cases, followed by Maharashtra with 494, Gujarat with 397, and Delhi with 393.

The recent fatalities include one each from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with two from Maharashtra, according to the reported data.

Official sources indicated on May 31 that the COVID-19 situation is under close observation, emphasizing that the severity of the infections remains low, with most patients receiving care at home, alleviating concerns.

Dr. Rajiv Behl, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), mentioned on Monday that genome sequencing in the West and South regions has revealed that the variants responsible for the recent increase in cases are not severe and are merely subvariants of Omicron.

The identified variants include LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1, with the first three being more prevalent.

"We are actively monitoring the situation. At this point, while vigilance is necessary, there is no reason for alarm," Dr. Behl stated.