The latest COVID-19 sub-variant JN. 1 was detected in Kerala on Saturday even as the state reported a spike in the number of people infected by the coronavirus. The 79-year-old woman from Thiruvananthapuram had mild symptoms of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and has since recovered from Covid.

There are currently 1,324 people who are Covid positive in Kerala. This is the highest rate in the country. With 700 to 1,000 Covid tests conducted daily, the state also reports the highest testing rate in India.

Meanwhile, two Covid-19 deaths were reported in the northern part of the state in the past two days. Restrictions were imposed in Panoor of Kannur district following this.

The JN.1 variant was detected 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.

"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.

A majority of these cases are clinically mild and the patients are recovering on their own at their homes, without any treatment, he added.

As part of a regular exercise of the Union health ministry, a mock drill at all health facilities in the states is underway to assess their public-health and hospital-preparedness measures.

This activity, which started from December 13, is being carried out under the overall supervision of the district collectors and is likely to be completed by December 18, Bahl said.

The Union ministry is in regular touch with the Kerala health department and monitoring various entry points to the state.

The INSACOG is a network of genomic laboratories that has been monitoring COVID-19 in India from a genomic perspective. The ICMR is a part of the consortium.

According to the revised surveillance guidelines in the context of COVID-19, patients of ILI and SARI are tested for the viral disease and the positive cases referred for whole genome sequencing (WGS).

Restriction in Kannur's Panoor

Following the death of an 80-year-old man due to COVID-19 infection, the Panoor municipality here has advised people to take precautions against the spread of the disease. The local body has also imposed restrictions on public gatherings and made wearing of mask mandatory in public places. This is the second death due to COVID-19 in the northern districts in the past two days.
(With PTI inputs.)