Amid spike in Covid cases, Telangana health minister urges people to remain calm

Hyderabad: Health experts said that the JN.1 variant of Covid has been in circulation since 2023 and currently poses no significant concern.

Telangana health minister, Damodar Rajanarasimha, on Saturday convened a high-level review meeting to assess the current Covid-19 scenario in the state and preparedness of the health department to effectively manage seasonal diseases.

The meeting was attended by Health Secretary Christina Z Chongthu, along with senior officials of the Health Department and epidemiologists.

Officials and subject experts presented a detailed briefing on the prevailing situation in India and other countries. It was noted that while some countries have reported a slight rise in Covid-19 cases, hospitalisation rates remain significantly low.

In India, the situation remains stable. A limited number of JN.1 variant cases have been detected, a variant that has been in circulation since 2023 and currently poses no significant concern.

Officials clarified that no new advisories or guidelines have been issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, which can be attributed to the controlled nature of the situation.

Epidemiologists informed the Minister that Covid-19 transitioned to the endemic stage nearly three years ago, and periodic fluctuations in case numbers are consistent with endemic behaviour.

They also noted that due to prevailing weather conditions, an increase in respiratory infections such as cough, cold, and fever is also expected.

Factors such as herd immunity due to immunisation against Covid, the mild nature of symptoms due to the JN.1 variant and the low incidence of hospitalization, all indicate that the situation is under control. There is no immediate cause for concern, as on date.

Sporadic cases of covid-19 can be managed very well, with the available healthcare personnel and infrastructure. There are no reports of hospitalization or institutional patient care required, unless there are co-existing morbidities due to other underlying chronic ailments the experts said.

The state has adequate availability of testing kits, medicines and testing facilities, apart from healthcare facilities.

The state health minister urged public to remain calm, and to exercise personal hygiene and precaution at their end.

He directed that the evolving situation in other states and countries should continue to be closely monitored and emphasized the importance of continued public education on the endemic nature of Covid-19.

Regarding the onset of monsoon, and probable onset of seasonal illnesses like dengue, chikungunya, malaria etc, he appealed to the public to remain vigilant during the monsoon season and to adopt appropriate preventive measures like cleanliness of surroundings and eliminate stagnant water sources to prevent vector-borne diseases.

He directed that awareness programmes be conducted extensively in both rural and urban areas to educate citizens on disease prevention and environmental hygiene.

Additionally, the Minister instructed the Health Department to ensure the availability of adequate stocks of medicines and other essential consumables required for the effective treatment of seasonal diseases at all healthcare facilities across the State.

He called for coordinated efforts with the Departments of Panchayat Raj, Municipal Administration, and other allied departments for advance planning and strategy to prevent seasonal diseases in the near future.