Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh has said that the new JN.1 Covid variant is not much of a threat till now.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a “variant of interest” due to “its rapidly increasing spread”.
JN.1 has been found in many countries around the world, including India, China, UK and the United States.
Lyngdoh today held after a review meeting on the recent surge in Covid cases in various parts of the country.
“This new variant does not seem to be much of a concern or upsetting the health parameters of the state,” she said, adding, “We are continuing with Covid preparedness and there has never been a time that the health machineries have taken anything lightly. But we do not anticipate that JN.1 will become a problem like the pandemic years.”
The Integrated Disease Surveillance Program of the Health Department has been actively conducting surveillance, and currently, there are no reported COVID cases in the state. Additionally, there has been no unusual increase observed in respiratory illnesses.
Meanwhile, with the upcoming festivities health officials has recommended precautionary measures including wearing of masks in closed indoor spaces, maintaining hand hygiene, and avoiding large gatherings.
Individuals with underlying health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney diseases, etc., are advised to take extra precautions if they experience fever or severe flu-like symptoms.
While emphasising that there is no cause for panic, the Health Minister assured the public that the department remains vigilant and proactive in monitoring and managing the COVID situation in Meghalaya.
