UP’s Ghaziabad reported its first case of the JN. 1 COVID variant. A 35-year-old doctor, who is associated with Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, tested positive for JN. 1 strain of COVID.
This is the first case that was reported in the state. The doctor tested positive after visiting her relatives in Vaishali. The test results came out when the doctor was in NCR city; the case was cross-notified by authorities. The new variant was confirmed after genome testing of the doctor’s sample. The health directorate of Lucknow obtained the information from Delhi and also informed the health authorities of Ghaziabad. Thereafter, the relatives of the doctor, whom he visited last week and in Vaishali, were tested. Their results came out on Tuesday, and they tested negative for COVID.
There are three active cases in Ghaziabad, and the last case of COVID was reported on January 2, which was of a 34-year-old woman.
The district surveillance officer, R. K. Singh, said that this is the first case of the JN. 1 variant in Ghaziabad. As soon as they received the information from the health authorities, they immediately performed testing on the doctor’s relatives who were in Vaishali, and both tested negative. As a precautionary measure, they instructed hospitals to conduct tests on people who were showing the symptoms of fever, cold, and flu.
The doctors also advised people to pay attention to symptoms such as sore throat, headaches, and lethargy, which are being seen as symptoms of the JN. 1 variant. Doctors also recommended that people with these symptoms should monitor their body temperature and oxygen saturation regularly. The health officials have brought up two helplines for reporting COVID cases in the city, and the helplines are 9910426374 and 8826797248.
The JN.1 variant cases were reported in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Delhi, Odisha, and Haryana. The number of people infected with the variant has increased. The new strain of the virus and cold temperature constraints are promoting the spread of infections.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina)