India Covid 19 Cases Surge to 257 in Nine States Within A Week; Experts Say No New Variant Of Concern

India has seen a minor rise in Covid-19 cases across nine states over the past week, amid a broader surge in Southeast Asia. However, health experts say the overall numbers in India remain low, with no signs of worrying trends or new variants of concern at this time.

According to data from the Union Health Ministry, the number of active Covid-19 cases in the country climbed from 93 on May 12 to 257 by May 19. States reporting a rise include Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Tamil Nadu.

Experts caution that the actual number of infections might be higher than reported, as many individuals with respiratory symptoms are no longer getting tested. Still, they maintain there is no evidence of the virus evolving to cause more severe disease. In several states, the official "zero active cases" figure may reflect a lack of testing rather than a complete absence of infection.

Meanwhile, countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand have experienced spikes due to newer versions of the Omicron variant. Microbiologists tracking global variants say major shifts in infection patterns are unlikely unless the virus undergoes a significant evolutionary leap.

"The strain in Hong Kong is NB.1.8.1 - a mix of XDV and JN.1. These are offshoots of earlier Omicron variants that have already circulated widely in India," said Dr. Rajesh Karyakarte, professor and head of microbiology at BJ Medical College in Pune. "We don't expect these to lead to major increases in hospitalisations, thanks to widespread vaccination and past infections that have built community immunity."

Dr. Karyakarte is part of India's genomic surveillance network, which tracked virus mutations during the peak of the pandemic. While testing has dropped, the network continues to monitor wastewater for early signs of local outbreaks.

"Sewage surveillance has remained active even after the pandemic's decline," said Souvik Mukherjee from the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics. "We've seen some minor upticks in infections in specific regions, but nothing alarming."

Among the nine states, Kerala reported the sharpest rise - from 26 cases on May 12 to 95 on May 19. Maharashtra's count rose from 12 to 56, while Tamil Nadu's cases increased from 32 to 66 during the same period.

Dr. Arup Halder, a pulmonologist at CMRI Hospital in Kolkata, attributed the uptick to factors like waning immunity, irregular booster shot uptake, and better detection due to targeted testing.