COVID-19 sub-strain detected in Kerala

New Delhi: A case of COVID-19 sub-variant JN. 1 has been detected in Kerala as part of an ongoing routine surveillance activity of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), a senior official from the Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR) said on Saturday.

The case was detected in an RT-PCR positive sample from Karakulam in Thiruvananthapuram district of the southern state on December 8, Dr Rajiv Bahl, Director General of the ICMR, said.

The sample had tested RT-PCR positive on November 18, he added. The 79-year-old woman had mild symptoms of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and has since recovered from Covid.

"There has been an increasing trend of COVID-19 cases from the state of Kerala since the last few weeks. This has been attributed to an increase in the number of samples from ILI cases being referred for testing," Bahl said.

K'taka govt to conduct mock drills in hospitals

Alarmed by the reports of fresh COVID cases coming to light in neighbouring Kerala, the Karnataka government has decided to conduct mock drills in the hospitals to check preparedness in the event the pandemic recurs in the state.

The government has also convened the Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19 on Tuesday.

"Today we had a meeting with the officials where directions were issued to purchase testing kits through Karnataka Medical Supplies Corporation. We have asked officials to procure test kits, which includes RT-PCR tests, Rapid Antigen Test and VTM (Viral Transport Medium)," Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters here after a meeting with the officials of the Health department. (PTI)