Kerala LoP slams state govt over delay in taking measures against Covid-19 subvariant

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 18 (ANI): The Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly and Congress leader, VD Satheesan, took a jibe at the state government on Monday over its COVID outbreak management, saying that four deaths have been recorded, yet the Kerala government is waiting for the 'Nava Kerala Sadas' to end.
"Kerala is number one in the present COVID outbreak, according to the Ministry of Health. Among the 1800 cases in the country, 1600 were identified in Kerala. Four deaths have also been recorded. Yet the Kerala government is waiting for the Nava Kerala Sadas to end to start COVID outbreak management," VD Satheesan said.
Further, Satheesan urged the state government to take action before panic spread among the people.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health has initiated preparedness measures after a case of the JN.1 subvariant of COVID was found in Kerala as part of the ongoing routine surveillance conducted by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).
The Covid-19 subvariant JN.1 is a descendant of BA.2.86.
A mock drill is underway in health facilities across states, evaluating public health and hospital readiness. This exercise, overseen by district collectors, commenced on December 13 and is scheduled for completion by December 18, 2023.
While the majority of cases in Kerala are reported to be clinically mild, the health authorities emphasise the importance of ongoing vigilance and preparedness to effectively manage the evolving situation related to COVID-19 variants.
The India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), a network of Genomic Laboratories, has been actively monitoring the genomic aspects of COVID-19 in India.
In the wake of the surge in respiratory diseases and the new JN.1 COVID sub-variant, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the virus is evolving and changing and urged the member states to continue with strong surveillance and sequence sharing.
The global body also shared a video of its COVID-19 technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, who explained the reason for the recent surges and what precautions can be taken.
The reported symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, headache, and, in some cases, mild gastrointestinal symptoms. The health authorities highlight that most patients experience these mild upper respiratory symptoms, which typically improve within four to five days. (ANI)