JN.1 a Socio-Economic Virus; Karnataka Working on Active Wastewater Surveillance: Top Expert
JN.1 a Socio-Economic Virus; Karnataka Working on Active Wastewater Surveillance: Top Expert
Dr Vishal Rao, part of the Covid Genomic Surveillance Committee, Government of Karnataka, says both global and Indian contexts require ongoing genomic surveillance and a readiness to respond to changes in the Covid-19 virus's behaviour

Karnataka is working on active wastewater surveillance to understand the pattern of JN.1 spread across the state, Dr Vishal Rao, part of the Covid Genomic Surveillance Committee, Government of Karnataka, told News18.

Rao, who is also a Bengaluru-based oncologist, said that using the collaboration between the state health department, municipalities, biotechnology departments, and institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science, Karnataka is working on active wastewater surveillance, clinical monitoring, and genomic surveillance.

“Our approach also reflects India’s commitment to pandemic preparedness with a One Health approach,” he added.

Rao said there are chances of witnessing a spike in Covid-19 cases along with other illnesses that mimic similar symptoms. “This is a socioeconomic virus. With the JN.1 being potentially more transmissible and with the onset of winter, the co-circulation of other respiratory viruses, and upcoming festive celebrations, there is a heightened risk of increased socialization leading to more cases,” he explained.

“Monitoring for any upticks in hospitalizations or illness due to the increased social interaction is essential, especially in both the Indian and global contexts where such events can quickly impact public health.”

As per the data sourced from the Health Ministry, there are 109 JN.1 variant cases in India. As many as 36 cases were reported from Gujarat, 34 from Karnataka, 14 from Goa, nine from Maharashtra, six from Kerala, four from Rajasthan, four from Tamil Nadu and two from Telangana.

However, till December 27, Karnataka reported 464 active Covid-19 cases in the state. The state also reported 10 deaths due to Covid-19 since December 15.

Vigilance is Extremely Crucial: Rao

Globally, he said, there is apprehension about the potential emergence of variants that could exhibit higher virulence, similar to the Delta variant, which had a significant impact on respiratory health.

“Despite the Omicron variant’s reduced severity due to its inability to exploit the TRAMPess pathway, which limited its lung invasion, and the partial immunity provided by vaccines, vigilance remains crucial.”

He emphasised that both global and Indian contexts require ongoing genomic surveillance and a readiness to respond to changes in the virus’s behaviour.

According to Rao, it is important to accept the fact that the virus being endemic and like the flu, people will need to start living with Covid and its evolving strains while working towards updating vaccines like in case of flu.

Updating Indian Vaccines

The race between vaccine updates and the virus’s rapid evolution is ongoing, he pointed out. “The vaccines developed and used in India used the D614G strain (Wuhan) which emerged in 2020 as a template.”

However, by now, the virus has evolved in its genetic nature much beyond that. “Thus, many countries have upgraded the vaccine to match the current strain potency. We would still need to wait for a few more months before we have these.”

However, he said, there is no need to “press the panic button” for vaccines or top-ups. “The global data currently available is reassuring that in patients who have been vaccinated and recently infected the antibodies produced have been giving good immune protection against severe disease and death.”

Currently, he said, the trick to prevent the spread of Covid-19 infection remains the same. “We are relying on proven public health measures, including enhanced indoor ventilation, prompt detection of symptoms, and robust genomic surveillance.”

“These strategies are fundamental in both the global and Indian scenarios as we work to manage the spread of Covid-19 without a new vaccine iteration in the immediate future,” he added.

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