Category: Corona Virus

Covid Case In India: Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in India, Odisha has identified two new cases of the JN.1 sub-variant of the virus, as confirmed by a senior official on Thursday.

Here are the top ten updates about the COVID-19 JN.1 sub-variant.

Covid-19 updates LIVE

1. As reported by ANI, the cases of the JN.1 sub-variant were identified in Sundargarh and Bhubaneswar in Odisha. Notably, one of the patients has fully recovered, while the other is currently undergoing treatment. Samples that tested positive for COVID-19 are now being sent for genome sequencing.

2. Director of Health Services Bijay Kumar Mohapatra, said, We are sending all the positives for genome sequencing. Two cases of JN.1 have come up in genome sequencing, while the total number of cases is 28. We will test the asymptomatic as per the ICMR guidelines and if they are found positive, they will be sent for genome sequencing."

Also Read: JN.1 variant cases cross 500 mark

3. "Out of two cases of JN.1, one is under treatment and the other is free of symptoms. One patient also has a travel history in Kerala. There is nothing to worry about; new variants are a viral phenomenon and they will keep coming up," Mohapatra added as reported by ANI.

4. As of the latest update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the total active caseload of the viral disease stands at 4,334, reflecting a decrease of 89 cases since Thursday morning. With this, the total count of coronavirus cases in India since its outbreak in January 2020 has reached 4,50,15,896. The death toll due to COVID-19 cases in India has risen to 5,33,385 reflecting an increase of two deaths.

5. Furthermore, 838 people recovered in the last 24 hours and the total number of recovered cases stood at 4,44,78,885, according to the health ministry.

Also Read: 2024 Portfolio Reboot: 3 essential investment insights from COVID-19 pandemic

6. Earlier, on Thursday, Maharashtra reported 171 new COVID-19 cases and two fatalities, as per a statement from a health department official. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar said, We are taking a daily review of the COVID situation in Maharashtra." He said, All officials of the administration and health department have been instructed to take precautionary measures, we expect people to cooperate like last time because, with the cooperation of everyone, we could control it...The current variant is mild in nature," as reported by ANI.

7. As of Wednesday, official sources have reported a total of 511 cases of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 in the country. Here is the state-wise data:

Karnataka: 199 reported cases

Kerala: 148 cases

Goa: 47 cases

Gujarat: 36 cases

Maharashtra: 32 cases

Tamil Nadu: 26 cases

Delhi: 15 cases

Rajasthan: 4 cases

Telangana: 2 cases

Odisha: 1 case

Haryana: 1 case

8. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated JN.1 as a distinct variant of interest" due to its rapid spread. However, the global public health risk associated with this variant is categorized as low" by the WHO.

Also Read: JN.1 Covid variant 'more transmissible, more infectious': Ex-ICMR expert warns of more cases in India

9. Despite recent weeks seeing a sustained reporting of JN.1 cases across various countries, indicating a significant global surge in its prevalence, the Centre has urged states and Union territories to remain vigilant due to the rising number of COVID cases and the identification of the JN.1 sub-variant within the country.

10. States are also tasked with monitoring and reporting cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) on a district-wise basis across all healthcare facilities. JN.1 is a subvariant of Omicron. There were many cases in Kerala. Our state government has issued an alert to all hospitals in the state. If there are any cases of influenza-like illness or severe acute respiratory illness we need to monitor them, increase their testing, keep them in isolation wards, wear masks, and keep medication ready," Dr M Raja Rao, Additional Director of Medical Education (DME) and Superintendent of Gandhi Hospital in Telangana said speaking to ANI.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Published: 05 Jan 2024, 10:25 AM IST

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Covid Sub-Variant JN.1: Odisha identifies 2 new cases of emerging variant | 10 key updates - Mint

Its winter, that cozy season that brings crackling fireplaces, indoor gatherings and a wave of respiratory illness. Nearly four years since the pandemic emerged, people are growing weary of dealing with it, but the virus is not done with us.

Nationally, a sharp uptick in emergency room visits and hospitalizations for covid-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, began in mid-December and appears to be gaining momentum.

Here are a few things to know this time around:

Whats Circulating Now?

The covid virus is continually changing, and a recent version is rapidly climbing the charts. Even though it appeared only in September, the variant known as JN.1, a descendant of omicron, is rapidly spreading, representing between 39% to half of the cases, according to pre-holiday stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lab data indicates that the updated vaccines, as well as existing covid rapid tests and medical treatments, are effective with this latest iteration. More good news is that it does not appear to pose additional risks to public health beyond that of other recent variants, according to the CDC. Even so, new covid hospitalizations 34,798 for the week that ended Dec. 30 are trending upward, although rates are still substantially lower than last Decembers tally. Its early in the season, though. Levels of virus in wastewater one indicator of how infections are spreading are very high, exceeding the levels seen this time last year.

And dont forget, other nasty bugs are going around. More than 20,000 people were hospitalized for influenza the week ending Dec. 30, and the CDC reports that RSV remains elevated in many areas.

The numbers so far are definitely going in the not-so-good direction, said Ziyad Al-Aly, the chief of the research and development service at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System and a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis. Were likely to see a big uptick in January now that everyone is back home from the holidays.

But No Big Deal, Right?

Certainly, compared with the first covid winter, things are better now. Far fewer people are dying or becoming seriously ill, with vaccines and prior infections providing some immunity and reducing severity of illness. Even compared with last winter, when omicron was surging, the situation is better. New hospitalizations, for example, are about one-third of what they were around the 2022 holidays. Weekly deaths dropped slightly the last week of December to 839 and are also substantially below levels from a year ago.

The ratio of mild disease to serious clearly has changed, said William Schaffner, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.

Even so, the definition of mild is broad, basically referring to anything short of being sick enough to be hospitalized.

While some patients may have no more than the sniffles, others experiencing mild covid can be miserable for three to five days, Schaffner said.

How Will This Affect My Day-to-Day Life?

Am I going to be really sick? Do I have to mask up again? It is important to know the basics.

For starters, symptoms of the covid variants currently circulating will likely be familiar such as a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fatigue, fever, and muscle aches.

So if you feel ill, stay home, said Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. It can make a big difference.

Dust off those at-home covid test kits, check the extended expiration dates on the FDA website, and throw away the ones that have aged out. Tests can be bought at most pharmacies and, if you havent ordered yours yet, free test kits are still available through a federal program at covid.gov.

Test more than once, especially if your symptoms are mild. The at-home rapid tests may not detect covid infection in the first couple of days, according to the FDA, which recommends using multiple tests over a certain time period, such as two to three days.

With all three viruses, those most at risk include the very young, older adults, pregnant people, and those with compromised immune systems or underlying diseases, including cancer or heart problems. But those without high-risk factors can also be adversely affected.

While mask-wearing has dropped in most places, you may start to see more people wearing them in public spaces, including stores, public transit, or entertainment venues.

Although a federal mask mandate is unlikely, health officials and hospitals in at least four states California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York have again told staff and patients to don masks. Such requirements were loosened last year when the public health emergency officially ended.

Such policies are advanced through county-level directives. The CDC data indicates that, nationally, about 46.7% of counties are seeing moderate to high hospital admission rates of covid.

We are not going to see widespread mask mandates as our population will not find that acceptable, Schaffner noted. That said, on an individual basis, mask-wearing is a very intelligent and reasonable thing to do as an additional layer of protection.

The N95, KN95, and KF94 masks are the most protective. Cloth and paper are not as effective.

And, finally, if you havent yet been vaccinated with an updated covid vaccine or gotten a flu shot, its not too late. There are also new vaccines and monoclonal antibodies to protect against RSV recommended for certain populations, which include older adults, pregnant people, and young children.

Generally, flu peaks in midwinter and runs into spring. Covid, while not technically seasonal, has higher rates in winter as people crowd together indoors.

If you havent received vaccines, Schaffner said, we urge you to get them and dont linger.

Arent We All Going to Get It? What About Repeat Infections?

People who have dodged covid entirely are in the minority.

At the same time, repeat infections are common. Fifteen percent of respondents to a recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll said theyd had covid two or three times. A Canadian survey released in December found 1 in 5 residents said they had gotten covid more than once as of last June.

Aside from the drag of being sick and missing work or school for days, debate continues over whether repeat infections pose smaller or larger risks of serious health effects. There are no definitive answers, although experts continue to study the issue.

Two research efforts suggest repeat infections may increase a persons chances of developing serious illness or even long covid which is defined various ways but generally means having one or more effects lingering for a month or more following infection. The precise percentage of cases and underlying factors of long covid and why people get it are among the many unanswered questions about the condition. However, there is a growing consensus among researchers that vaccination is protective.

Still, the VAs Al-Aly said a study he co-authored that was published in November 2022 found that getting covid more than once raises an additional risk of problems in the acute phase, be it hospitalization or even dying, and makes a person two times as likely to experience long covid symptoms.

The Canadian survey also found a higher risk of long covid among those who self-reported two or more infections. Both studies have their limitations: Most of the 6 million in the VA database were male and older, and the data studied came from the first two years of the pandemic, so some of it reflected illnesses from before vaccines became available. The Canadian survey, although more recent, relied on self-reporting of infections and conditions, which may not be accurate.

Still, Al-Aly and other experts say taking preventive steps, such as getting vaccinated and wearing a mask in higher-risk situations, can hedge your bets.

Even if in a prior infection you dodged the bullet of long covid, Al-Aly said, it doesnt mean you will dodge the bullet every single time.

Continued here:

KFF HEALTH NEWS: There's a new Covid-19 variant and cases are ticking up. what do you need to know? - Tahlequah Daily Press

A new COVID-19 subvariant, known as JN.1, has emerged and is now the prevailing strain across Canada, prompting health experts to caution that it may be more infectious and could even have extra symptoms.

Currently, the subvariant makes up the highest proportion of all COVID-19 variants, accounting for more than half (51. 9 per cent) of all infections in Canada, according to the latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

JN.1 was first detected in Canada on Oct. 9, and since then has rapidly increased.

If this virus continues to circulate at high levels, that means more virus, which means more mutations and more evolution, which means more of this same kind of issue happening repeatedly, warned Ryan Gregory, a professor of integrative biology at the University of Guelph, and evolutionary biologist.

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1:54 Low vaccine uptake fuels spike in respiratory illnesses: health officials

On Dec. 10, the JN.1 subvariant made up 26.6 per cent of all COVID-19 variants in Canada, but was not the dominant strain. At that time, HV.1 still made up 29 per cent of all subvariants, according to PHAC data. By Dec. 17, JN.1 made up the highest percentage (38.5 per cent) of all subvariants across Canada. Meanwhile, HV.1 fell to 24.4 per cent.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Dec. 19 added JN.1 to its list of variants of interest, its second-highest level of monitoring. Despite the categorization, the health organization said JN.1 poses a low additional public health risk.

Two days later, on Dec. 21, PHAC labelled it as a variant of interest in Canada.

As the subvariant continues to circulate, here is what we know so far about JN.1.

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The JN.1 subvariant is a sublineage of BA.2.86 that emerged in Europe in late August 2023. It is another Omicron variant, according to PHAC. Gregory explained that JN.1 is a grandchild of BA.2.86. The original BA.2.86 probably evolved within a single person with a long-term infection over a year, he added.

So, somebody was infected. The virus continued to replicate and change within their body and then it reentered the rest of the population, he said. Once it gets back into the main population, its now evolving at the level of among hosts.

This in turn created the more competitive and successful JN.1. It featured a single alteration in the spike protein, enhancing its ability to effectively bind to cells, according to Gregory.

6:14 Holiday health update: Navigating the flu, RSV and COVID

It has massively managed to compete with the existing things that were out there, which suggests that its either very good at transmitting, and escapes immunity that is otherwise conferred by prior infection or previous vaccination, he said. So in other words, its different enough that your immune system, having been trained on older variants, doesnt recognize it as well.

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He also believes JN.1 may be the starting point for subsequent evolutions, much like the XBB variant. The XBB variant, another sublineage of Omicron, started circulating the world in late 2022. In 2023, some of its descendents, such as XBB.1.5 and EG.5, became dominating COVID-19 infections.

It is currently not known whether JN.1 infections produce different symptoms from other variants, health experts say.

The typical symptoms of COVID-19 according to the government are:

Additionally, Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queens University in Kingston, Ont., said he has heard more people report gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as diarrhea.

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The one thing I have been hearing about, they have GI symptoms, and these are not new, these have been recorded since COVID came out, he said. But anecdotally, the number of people having GI symptoms seems to be slightly higher, but you have to be careful with that because its an observational bias. But it does strike me that its becoming a bit more of a theme in the last month.

Gregory agreed with this observation but added that it may still be too early to tell if this is a hallmark symptom of the JN.1 variant.

He added that it is difficult to determine which symptoms go with what variant, especially when so many are circulating and there is less testing for COVID-19.

Trending Now

Due to JN.1s fast growth, experts like Gregory say its either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems. However, PHAC said in an email to Global News on Dec. 19, there is no evidence of increased severity associated with this variant.

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The WHO also stated last month that it is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in COVID-19 cases amid a surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season.

Since the spike protein is also the part that existing vaccines target, current vaccines should work against JN.1 and other lineages of BA.2.86, explained Evans. Preliminary evidence shows that protection by the XBB recombinant vaccine also guards against JN.1, he added. However, he cautioned, If it has been a year since your last vaccine or COVID infection, you may be more susceptible.

Personal protective measures are effective actions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, PHAC stated. They include things like staying home when sick, properly wearing a well-fitted respirator or mask, improving indoor ventilation and practicing respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.

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These measures are most effective when layered together, PHAC stated in an email.

Laboratory studies also suggest that the current therapeutic antiviral options, such as Paxlovid, available in Canada are expected to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineages, PHAC added.

In some parts of the country, COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing since the fall, yet the numbers appear to be stable now, according to Evans. However, while infection numbers remain stable, they are still very high and very steep, he warned, well beyond influenza, RSV and all the other viruses.

4:50 Kingston pharmacist urging residents to get vaccinated to avoid getting sick this winter season

He believes there may have been a holiday spike in COVID0-19 infections for several reasons, but most importantly noting that the uptake COVID-19 vaccine has been very poor.

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As of Dec. 8, PHAC reported that 14.6 per cent of eligible Canadians have received the updated vaccines targeting XBB.1.5.

The second reason, of course, is were in the middle of the respiratory virus season, Evans said. And although there are still a fair percentage of people who are being careful, there are a lot of people really have just gone back to what life was like before 2020. And. Thats, of course, a moment of opportunity for all these viruses to kind of take off.

More:

JN.1 is Canadas new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Heres what to know - Global News

India has recorded 756 new cases of Covid, while the number of active cases of the infection stood at 4,049, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

Five deaths two each from Kerala and Maharashtra and one from Jammu and Kashmir have been reported in 24 hours, according to the Ministrys data updated at 8 a.m.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023, but cases began to increase again after the emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions.

After December 5, a maximum increase in single-day cases was reported on December 31, 2023, when 841 cases were reported, official sources said.

Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92%) are recovering under home isolation.

The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in hospitalisation and mortality, the sources stated.

India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported during the Delta wave in April-June 2021. At its peak, 4,14,188 new cases and 3,915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021.

Since the pandemic began in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people have been infected and over 5.3 lakh died.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at over 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81%, according to the Ministrys website.

According to the Ministry, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have so far been administered in the country.

Read more:

Active Covid cases in country recorded at 4,049 - The Hindu

They come to my office every week, sometimes every day. One is a college professor trying to make tenure but cant teach because their heart rate jumps to 160 upon standing. Another is a nurse who is plagued by fatigue and cannot get through the grueling 12-hour shifts. A third has such profound fatigue they run their business from bed; they blur out the background on the zoom meetings and prop their head up with a hand.

These three, and many others, have been diagnosed with myalgic encephalitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The CDC recommends three criteria for diagnosis: a greatly lower ability to do activities that lasts six months or longer, worsening of symptoms after physical activity, and sleep issues that may include feeling weary after a full nights sleep. Other symptoms may include cognitive dysfunction (brain fog), chronic pain, and light-headedness or dizziness when standing.

There are between 1 and 2 million with this affliction in America today, and with the ongoing COVID crisis, the ranks of the afflicted threaten to grow by many more millions. The layers of their life often strip away like paint, and a first casualty is often their job and whatever worth they got from it. If they are lucky, they have the assistance of a family. If unlucky, they battle in solitude.

As doctors, we often tell them to fight, to struggle. Walk 10 minutes a day and next week you will be able to walk 20. Two-pound weight exercises will turn into five pounds. We will cheerlead you out of this illness. Often, though, this approach only makes things worse, and the standby of graded and increasing movement will improve function does not apply.

The patients I see in my lung clinic, though, afford us a rare opportunity. Prior to COVID, it was thought perhaps a viral illness triggered this cascade of decline and misery. The usual suspects are Epstein-Barr virus or its cousin cytomegalovirus. They are only suspects, though. Now with COVID-19 we believe we have detained an offender.

Former chief medical advisor to the president, Anthony Fauci is one doctor who sees the opportunity here. I spoke with him, and in his precise, careful fashion, he laid out a road map for how to approach ME/CFS.

First, stick with only post-COVID patients; do not dilute your sample with other post-viral conditions.

Second, make sure you have a very strict and agreed-upon definition of what long COVID constitutes: symptoms must be there for at least six months, and a level of significant disability must be documented.

Once you have your population, then cast a wide net into possible avenues of dysregulation. What blood markers were elevated at the start of their infection? What blood markers continue to be elevated after six months? Is there evidence of ongoing reaction to live or broken-down viral DNA? Who are the people who eventually get better? Who are the ones who continue to struggle?

Interesting data is being generated. One study in the journal Nature showed that patients who had died from COVID had clear evidence of viral substrate in tissues throughout the body, including the heart, intestine, and adrenal gland. Most damningly, the brain was frequently involved, with one patient having evidence of viral particles in their central nervous system a full 230 days after initial symptoms.

Another study from Yale shows that despite adequate heart and lung function, oxygen was not being utilized by muscles during exercise, pointing to mitochondrial dysfunction. A recent study out of the University of Pennsylvania implicated low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. No organ should be beyond analysis, beyond suspicion.

Large treatment trials have also begun, including interventions involving stem cells, exercise regimens, antibody infusions, and antidepressants like lithium and fluvoxamine. To date, however, there are no FDA approved medications for long COVID or ME/CFS. The mystery endures.

With COVID numbers recently rising, our sample size of people with long-term issues will continue to rise. The best protection against this is to avoid the disease if possible: hand washing, masks in high-risk situations, staying home if ill. Vaccines and boosters are very helpful, and recent studies have shown in both children and adults the vaccine significantly lowers the incidence of long COVID.

Suffering can be endured if there is the possibility of an end, if there is an expectation of convalescence, of the possibility of a return to a remembered life that was more productive, more engaged. We call this hope. With COVID-19 and the clinical trials going on, there is hope for the first time for the millions struggling under the crushing yoke of ME/CFS.

Michael J. Stephen M.D. is a Penn Medicine pulmonary physician and author of Breath Taking, A Biography of the Lungs.

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Anthony Fauci and unlocking the biggest mystery in medicine - The Philadelphia Inquirer

JN.1 makes up an estimated 61.6% of COVID cases, CDC data shows.

January 5, 2024, 3:49 PM ET

6 min read

A variant that has been circulating in the U.S. for the last couple of months currently makes up a majority of COVID-19 cases in the United States.

JN.1, a descendant of BA.2.86 -- which is itself an offshoot of the omicron variant -- now makes up an estimated 61.6% of cases in the country, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is up from the estimated 3.3% of cases the variant made up in mid-November, CDC data shows.

The Northeast is the region of the U.S. with the highest prevalence, making up an estimated 74.9% of COVID-19 cases, according to the CDC.

Last month, the World Health Organization listed JN.1 as a "variant of interest," meaning it contains changes that may result in increased spread or reduced efficacy of treatments or vaccine but is not as serious as a "variant of concern."

This comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to increase across the U.S., rising for the eighth consecutive week to levels not seen since January 2023.

JN.1 has an additional mutation in its spike protein compared to its parent, BA.2.86, according to the CDC. The spike protein is what the virus uses to attach to and infect cells.

The CDC says this suggests that either the variant is more transmissible or better at evading the immune system than other variants that are circulating.

"It does seem to be more transmissible because it's rising up the charts, not only in terms of the majority of cases right now, but the rate of increase is really dizzying," Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News.

He pointed that out that the U.S. being able to track JN.1 is sign that public health systems are successfully identifying new variants and following variant spread.

"To me, anyway, the U.S. lagged many countries early on in the pandemic, but right now, I think by tracking where JN.1 is going -- not only as a country but in regions -- really gives me confidence that, as we move along in the pandemic, we are able to hopefully identify new variants, the programs in airports, wastewater. They are all going to work together," he said.

Public health experts said there is no evidence JN.1 has different symptoms or causes more severe illness and that it's normal for the virus to mutate, causing new variants to emerge.

Additionally, existing tests, vaccines and treatments are still expected to work, experts say.

In an update on Friday, the CDC said that COVID test positivity levels in wastewater samples are higher than this time later year.

Chin-Hong said data from Singapore and from other countries, where JN.1 was predominant earlier, shows it does not seem to be causing a higher proportion of people to be hospitalized.

"But like with other variants that are more transmissible, the more people that get infected, even if a smaller percentage of them go to the hospital, it's going to numerically mean a lot," he said.

He explained that this is why it's important to get the updated vaccine. As of Friday, only 19.4% of adults ages 18 and older have received the updated vaccine, CDC data shows.

"We know that immunity wanes the fastest in those who are older and those who are immunocompromised," Chin-Hong said. "And for people who didn't get [COVID] in the summer, they might say, 'Well, look, I did all these things. I didn't get it.' It may not be true for JN.1. Enough time has elapsed since many [people] got a shot."

Link:

JN.1 variant makes up a majority of COVID cases in the US. Here's what to know - ABC News

India has recorded a single-day rise of 774 COVID-19 cases while the number of active cases stands at 4,187, the Union Health Ministry said on January 6.

Two deaths one each from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the Ministry's data updated at 8 a.m.

The number of daily cases was in double digits till December 5 but it began to rise again amid cold weather conditions and after the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, JN.1 After December 5, the highest single-day rise of 841 cases was reported on December 31, 2023, which was 0.2% of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said.

Of the 4,187 active cases, the majority (more than 92%) are recovering under home isolation.

An official source said, "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality." India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily cases and deaths being reported during the Delta wave during April-June 2021. At its peak, 4,14,188 cases and 3,915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021.

Since the pandemic began in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people have been infected and more than 5.3 lakh have died across the country.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at more than 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81%, according to the Ministry's website. According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far in the country.

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COVID-19 | India records a single-day rise of 774 fresh cases - The Hindu

Eris and this winters other dominant SARS-CoV-2 variants

This fall, the dominant strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are EG.5, unofficially named Eris, as well as FL 1.5.1 and HV.1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says Rebekah Sensenig, D.O., Infectious Disease Specialist for Riverside Health System.

As we head into the cooler months, illnesses caused by respiratory viruses, like COVID-19, increase. When its cold out, we all tend to spend more time inside, and viral particles spread between people faster indoors. So, its time to start thinking about protecting yourself and staying healthy through this season.

Since the world was first introduced to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus back in 2019 the virus has adapted and changed over time. The CDC tracks emerging strains of common viral illness so we can develop targeted vaccines to prevent infections.

According to the CDCs mid-October 2023 data, the strain EG.5, unofficially nicknamed Eris, makes up almost a quarter of all COVID-19 cases. Right behind Eris are HV.1, accounting for nearly 20% of cases and FL 1.5.1, responsible for 13.5% of cases.

Like all COVID-19 variants, this strand spreads through respiratory droplets. When a person with the infection breathes out droplets, the virus transmits into the air and onto surfaces where it can infect new people. So far, experts dont believe these new variants are more dangerous than other strains of COVID-19.

COVID-19 variants affect the upper respiratory tract the nasal passages, mouth, airways and lungs. Symptoms resemble the common cold and can last up to two weeks and range from mild to severe. Those with a higher risk of serious illness include infants, people over the age of 65 and anyone with a compromised immune system.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), we will be dealing with COVID-19 for years to come. The good news is we have the tools to reduce the risk of infection and prevent serious illness.

One of the best ways to prevent COVID-19 is to get outside where respiratory illnesses are less likely to spread, says Dr. Sensenig.

You can take a few simple steps to protect yourself and others.

If you are at high risk of serious illness, wearing a mask or respirator provides more protection from diseases transmitted by respiratory droplets like COVID-19.

When it comes to respiratory illnesses and COVID-19, our experts have you covered. From vaccines to treatment and everything in between, we are here to answer your questions and offer personalized recommendations. Make an appointment with one of our providers.

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What you need to know about new covid variants - Riverside Health System

The year is off to a rough start when it comes to respiratory illnesses. Though we may no longer be officially in the middle of a pandemic, COVID-19, which is still killing hundreds of people each day, and the usual suspects flu, RSV and other respiratory pathogens are sending thousands to the hospital. Heres what to to know and cover in the midst of this respiratory disease surge.

CDC wastewater data shows the current COVID-19 surge to be the largest increase since Omicron in December 2022, and wastewater detection of the virus continues to rise. As cardiologist and COVID commentator Eric Topol writes in the Los Angeles Times, an estimated 2 million infections a day are occurring in the U.S. The CDCs COVID Data Tracker shows that COVID test positivity appears to be stabilizing, emergency room visits (up 12.8%), hospitalizations (up 20.4%) and deaths (up 12.5%) are continuing to rise.

Frustratingly, the CDCs map of COVID test positivity, hospitalizations, deaths and hospital visits only provides data on geographic regions of the U.S. instead of individual states. But its clear that central Midwest states Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri are faring the worst, followed by New England and Great Lakes states.

Its not just the U.S. experiencing a surge. Italys hospitals are overwhelmed with cases of COVID-19, flu, and other respiratory illnesses, and the KFF Global COVID-19 Tracker and WHO COVID-19 dashboard show substantial increases in other parts of Europe and Asia. Topols Substack documents an unprecedented jump in wastewater levels of COVID-19 from the latest COVID variant JN.1, which accounts for approximately 62% of COVID cases in the U.S. as of Jan. 5.

As epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers wrote in a recent post for her Substack, Force of Infection, were in the thick of it now. Doctor visits for influenza-like illnesses the catch-all phrase for flu and otherwise unidentified respiratory illnesses jumped more than a percentage point from the last week of 2023 to the first week of 2024. That means were nearly at last years peak of 7-8%. CDCs FluView shows that influenza test positivity, now at 17.5%, is rising, as are flu hospitalizations and deaths. CDC national data for RSV similarly shows a sharp rise in cases nearing or exceeding last years peak, depending on the metric, though the South shows a decline and infections may be tapering in the Northeast.

News stories began emerging in late November/early December about white lung syndrome or pneumonia, raising concerns about a new pathogen. But as I reported at Scientific American and as others reported elsewhere, white lung is not a real medical term. Its simply a scary lay description, not used by medical professionals, of what we see on a routine chest X-ray, says William Schaffner, M.D., a Vanderbilt professor of infectious disease and medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

The miscommunication about white lung has been substantial enough that multiple hospitals have even published posts to dispel misinformation and anxiety about this term. (All these posts, like the stories linked above, contain excellent sources for respiratory disease articles.)

Still, Iveheard from a few people that their providers have warned them about the condition even though its not something new and distinct from existing pneumonia. Its therefore worth reminding people that white lung only refers to the white that appears in the lungs on an X-ray when someone has pneumonia, regardless of the underlying cause of the pneumonia.

Fall is traditionally when most journalism outlets post their seasonal flu vaccine stories, plus the addition of this years stories about the new COVID and RSV vaccines. But its worth continuing to report on vaccine availability into the new year. Its not too late to get these vaccines, and January and February usually see the highest rates of respiratory illnesses.

Katelyn Jetelina of Your Local Epidemiologist has an excellent graphic of the 2023-2024 respiratory virus vaccines, including what they are, who is eligible for them, how effective they are and when people should get them. Recent research shows that the current COVID-19 vaccine reduces risk of hospitalization and emergency room visits while previous COVID-19 vaccines no longer do so. Further, a recent systematic review found that COVID-19 vaccination in general reduces risk of long COVID, an area of conflicting evidence for several years.

The COVID-19 surge has also brought an upswing in mask requirements across the U.S. Reuters reports that California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York have all instituted mask mandates at health care facilities. Its worth paying attention to local hospitals in your area to see if theyre requiring masking independent of city, county or state mandates.

Despite the politicization of masks during the pandemic and the CDCs repeated mask recommendation blunders, the data clearly show that masks reduce risk of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections, including for kids (see here, here, here, here and here for research on masking). Unfortunately, a misunderstanding about the limitations of randomized controlled trials and the underestimation of observational evidence has led to misinterpretations of studies and meta-analyses on masking effectiveness. But articles reminding audiences of the effectiveness of masks can help correct misinformation about their utility.

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Covering the winter COVID, RSV, flu and respiratory illness surge - Association of Health Care Journalists

GENEVA (AP) The head of the U.N. health agency said Wednesday holiday gatherings and the spread of the most prominent variant globally led to increased transmission of COVID-19 last month.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said nearly 10,000 deaths were reported in December, while hospital admissions during the month jumped 42% in nearly 50 countries mostly in Europe and the Americas that shared such trend information.

Although 10,000 deaths a month is far less than the peak of the pandemic, this level of preventable deaths is not acceptable, the World Health Organization director-general told reporters from its headquarters in Geneva.

He said it was certain that cases were on the rise in other places that havent been reporting, calling on governments to keep up surveillance and provide continued access to treatments and vaccines.

Tedros said the JN.1 variant was now the most prominent in the world. It is an omicron variant, so current vaccines should still provide some protection.

Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead at WHO for COVID-19, cited an increase in respiratory diseases across the globe due to the coronavirus but also flu, rhinovirus and pneumonia.

We expect those trends to continue into January through the winter months in the northern hemisphere, she said, while noting increases in COVID-19 in the southern hemisphere where its now summer.

While bouts of coughs, sniffling, fever and fatigue in the winter are nothing new, Van Kerkhove said this year in particular, we are seeing co-circulation of many different types of pathogens.

WHO officials recommend that people get vaccinated when possible, wear masks, and make sure indoor areas are well ventilated.

The vaccines may not stop you being infected, but the vaccines are certainly reducing significantly your chance of being hospitalized or dying, said Dr. Michael Ryan, head of emergencies at WHO.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Nearly 10000 died from COVID-19 last month, fueled by holiday gatherings and new variant, WHO says - The Associated Press