Covid -19 surge ‘not a concern’: Experts report no alarming variant or severe illness evidence

Microbiologists monitoring the evolving variants of the virus indicate that significant changes in infection patterns or severity are improbable unless there is a substantial evolutionary shift in the virus.

India has observed minor increases in Covid-19 cases across nine states in the last week, coinciding with a rise in Southeast Asia. However, experts assert that the numbers in India remain low, with no concerning trends or new variants of concern identified thus far. According to data from the Union health ministry, the number of active Covid-19 cases in the country increased from 93 on May 12 to 257 on May 19, with case numbers rising in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Tamil Nadu.

Experts suggest that India’s slight rise may not accurately represent the true number of Covid-19 cases, as many individuals with respiratory symptoms do not pursue a Covid-19 diagnosis. Nonetheless, they emphasize that there is no evidence indicating that the virus has mutated to cause more severe illness. They also note that the “zero” active cases reported in several states may be due to insufficient testing rather than a true absence of infections. The recent increase in cases in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand is primarily attributed to various successors of the omicron variant, which spread globally in 2021-2022. Microbiologists tracking the virus’s evolving variants maintain that significant changes in infection patterns or severity are unlikely unless there is a dramatic evolutionary change in the virus. “The variant identified in Hong Kong is NB.1.8.1, which is a hybrid of XDV and JN.1. XDV has evolved from XBB, while JN.1 has evolved from BA.2,” stated Rajesh Karyakarte, professor and head of microbiology at BJ Medical College, Pune. “All these variants are derivatives of omicron variants such as XBB.