Bhubaneswar: Odisha has reported two cases of the new SARS-CoV2 sub-variant JN.1, the highly transmissible descendant of Omicron which has led to an uptick in COVID infections.
“After genome sequencing, the two such cases have been identified. The first person, who hails from Sundargarh, had returned from Kerala. He recuperated at home and currently has no symptoms. His contacts are also asymptomatic,” Director of Health Services Bijay Kumar Mohapatra told the media on Thursday.
Mohapatra identified the other patient as an 83-year-old woman, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. “Her condition is stable,” he said.
While stating that there is no need to panic, he also appealed to people with symptoms to get themselves tested.
The new variant has been found in 11 states of India so far.
The state also reported the first suspected death of the season on Wednesday. The deceased, according to reports, is a 54-year-old man, who was suffering from valvular heart disease and the COVID-19 infection aggravated the co-morbid conditions. He died of cardiogenic shock last week while undergoing treatment at a corporate hospital in the city
The health authorities, however, have not confirmed the COVID death.
Odisha has 28 active cases and majority of them are undergoing home-based treatment.
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