Haryana, Karnataka make special Covid arrangements, but urge against panic

AS republic of india experiences a venial resurgence of COVID-19 cases, authorities ar urging citizens to remain vigilant but tranquillize, accenting that the current wave is mild with no indication of a severe outbreak.Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao on Saturday confirmed that four mild cases have been reported in the state, two in Gurugram and two in Faridabad, with all patients under home quarantine. “There is no need to panic,” she assured. “The government has made all the arrangements to handle the situation.” None of the cases had recent international travel history, and all individuals were previously vaccinated, which officials say is helping minimize symptoms.In Karnataka, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao addressed a slight uptick in cases, with the state recording 35 COVID-19 infections so far this year, including a minor increase in the past two weeks. “There is no alarming situation,” he said. “But those with severe respiratory symptoms should get tested.”Rao also advised vulnerable groups, including individuals with low immunity, pregnant women, and children, to avoid crowded places and maintain basic precautions. “Everything is normal. There’s nothing to fear,” he added, aligning with central government data that shows 257 active cases nationwide as of May 19 - most of them mild, with no hospitalizations required.Meanwhile, AIIMS Rishikesh reported three new COVID-19 cases, including a hospital resident and a pilgrim from Gujarat. One of the patients has already been discharged, and hospital authorities emphasized that the current variant is not severe. “This variant is not very harmful,” said AIIMS Director Dr Meenu Singh, “but those with comorbidities should remain cautious.”New variant?India’s health surveillance network is closely tracking new subvariants. According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), one case of the NB.1.8.1 variant and four cases of LF.7 have been identified in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat respectively. Both variants are currently classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “Variants Under Monitoring.”Experts believe NB.1.8.1’s spike protein mutations, including A435S, V445H, and T478I, may contribute to increased transmissibility and immune evasion, though it is not currently classified as a variant of concern. The dominant strain in India remains the JN.1 variant, accounting for 53% of recent genomic samples.New casesSeveral regions, including Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala, have reported small clusters of new infections. Delhi recorded 23 new cases this week, while Kerala reported 273 cases in May alone.A nine-month-old in Bengaluru also tested positive recently.The number of active COVID-19 cases in India stands at 257, according to the health ministry data which was updated on May 19. Almost all of these cases are mild, with no hospitalisation required.