Alarming : Pune records 60% of state’s total JN1 variant cases; Know more

Of the 250 cases of JN.1 Covid variant that have been reported thus far from all over Maharashtra, Pune has at least 150 cases.

Speaking to Pune Pulse, Dr Suryakant Deokar, Assistant Health & Immunization Officer, PMC, said “We inform the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune to conduct genome sequencing if a probable JN.1 variant patient approaches the PMC. After the genome sequencing is done, the PMC gets the report within 10 to 15 days. Also, the JN.1 variant is a very mild variant.”

Samples are sent to Pune from a network of private laboratories in addition to state and local health authorities. Additionally, samples from other locations are sent to Pune’s labs for genome sequencing, which has assisted in identifying up to 150 cases of JN.1 variant in Pune.

In addition to the Haffkine Institute and Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Mumbai, the state has identified other laboratories, such as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) in Nagpur.

A senior doctor reported that on Monday, 2,728 Covid tests were performed throughout the state. There were 891 Covid patients as of January 7; 850 of them were isolated at home, and 41 of them were hospitalized. Fifteen of these require critical care.

A quick clinical investigation of JN patients is ongoing.

One Covid variant discovered that the most common symptoms were cough, fever, and cold. Only 60 out of the at least 100 patients who were included in the study to evaluate clinical manifestations answered.