Covid cases rising in Asian countries: Should India worry? Officials say this

AS Covid cases upsurge in parts of Asia, officials in republic of india indicated on mon that the state of affairs remains ‘ below control’ in the country, despite a small spike in the number of cases in some states.According to a report by news agency ANI, the increase in Covid-19 cases in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand in the last few weeks prompted a review meeting of experts from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) division, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central government hospitals.Covid cases rise: Should India be worried?“As per the preliminary information available, the cases are mostly mild, not associated with unusual severity or mortality,” sources quoted in the report said.The officials added that the review meeting concluded that the situation in India remains ‘under control’ and the number of cases seen until Monday was ‘very low’ considering the large population of the country.“In light of these developments, a review meeting of experts from NCDC, EMR division, Disaster Management Cell, ICMR, and Central government hospitals was convened under the chairpersonship of Director General of Health Services (DGHS). The meeting concluded that the current Covid-19 situation in India remains under control. As of May 19, 2025, the number of active Covid-19 cases in India stands at 257, a very low figure considering the country’s large population,” the officials said.They also pointed out that almost all of the cases in India are mild, with no hospitalization required.“A robust system for surveillance of respiratory viral illnesses, including Covid-19, also exists in the country through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR,” they said.Covid surge in AsiaThe new wave of Covid-19 has emerged in Southeast Asia, from Hong Kong and Singapore to Thailand. Most of the cases found in the surge are spreading due to the Omicron variant JN.1 and its related descendants. Singapore saw 14,000+ cases in early May, with similar surges seen in Hong Kong and Thailand.The JN.1 strain of Covid-19 was first found in August 2023, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated it as a ‘variant of interest’ in December 2023. It is a descendant of the Omicron BA.2.86 variant. The JN.1 variant has about 30 mutations according to WHO, and among them are LF.7 and NB.1.8, the most common among the cases being found in recent weeks.