Surge in COVID-19 cases in India due to a new variant, XBB 1.16

India sees an increase in daily new COVID-19 cases over the past few days

India is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, with over 1 lakh new cases reported within the last 24 hours. This is a major uptick from the daily new infection figures that have been hovering around 10,000 to 20,000 a day for the past few months. Health officials and experts are concerned that India may be facing another tough wave of COVID-19 infections, especially with the emergence of a new strain, XBB 1.16.

The surge could be due to a new variant, XBB 1.16

The rise in daily COVID-19 cases could be partly attributed to the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus. The subvariant XBB 1.16 is believed to be responsible for causing 60% of Covid19 cases in Maharashtra alone, as per reports from local authorities.

The new strain is from the omicron family with higher infectivity and lower virulence

The XBB 1.16 variant is said to belong to the omicron family, which has been proven to be more transmissible but less deadly than other variants like delta or alpha. While there are concerns over the high infectivity rate of XBB 1.16, experts believe that it may not cause as many serious illnesses or deaths as previous strains of Covid19.

Rise in infections has not resulted in a rise in serious cases

Despite the sharp uptick in daily Covid19 cases, health officials are relieved that serious illness and death rates have not increased at an equal pace. This is primarily due to increased vaccination coverage and prior infections within the population which have helped develop immunity against severe disease. Senior health officials have noted that this is a discernible pattern, where a more transmissible virus variant appears, displaces the dominant one, leads to an increase in cases and then subsides as people gain immunity.

Proactive surveillance is key to prevent another mass outbreak of coronavirus infections

Health officials are urging the public to continue practicing Covid-appropriate behaviour like wearing masks, practicing social distancing and getting vaccinated. Proactive surveillance is key to preventing another mass outbreak of coronavirus infections, particularly with the emergence of new strains of the virus.

Mock drills at health facilities to ensure operational readiness

Senior health officials have suggested mock drills at health facilities will be undertaken to ensure operational readiness of medical infrastructure. The Delhi government has been conducting several mock drills to prepare for a potential third wave of infections.

Vaccination efforts being ramped up

India has administered more than 2.2 billion COVID vaccine doses but only about 30% of the eligible population has received a third or booster shot. The government is making concerted efforts to ramp up vaccination coverage, particularly among high-risk and vulnerable sections of society.

Delhi records 300 Covid cases, two deaths and a high positivity rate

Delhi recorded 300 new Covid19 cases and two deaths recently, along with a positivity rate of 13.89% – the highest since September 2021. Medical experts suggest that the rise in numbers could be due to the H3N2 virus and the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus.

Maharashtra records over 450 new Covid19 cases, highest monthly toll

Maharashtra recorded over 450 new Covid19 cases on Tuesday alone, almost double from Monday’s tally within the state. The state also reported its highest monthly toll since November 2022 with 17 Covid19 related deaths in one day.

Symptoms associated with XBB 1.16

Patients with XBB 1.16 have shown mild symptoms such as fever less than 48 hours, sore throat and body ache, with hospitalizations not proportionately high. Most cases have been reported from Pune.

The emergence of new strains of Covid19 is a serious concern for all countries around the world. India has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic over the past year and a half, and the recent surge in cases once again puts health officials on high alert. It is now more important than ever before to continue practicing Covid-appropriate behaviour and get vaccinated as soon as possible.

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