As some Covid cases have been detected in various parts of the country, the nightmare of 2019 has come back hunting. The pandemic destroyed everything – lives, businesses, social fabric, community engagement, all over the world, India being no exception. Horrible pictures of mass cremations flash back sending shivers down the spine. Children, infants, young, elderly, men, women died all over. Entire World smelled of death. In India migrant labourers’ struggle to reach their homes despite nation-wide lock down, is yet another story. Once the vaccine was available, it was a giant task to ensure that all citizens of a huge country like India are vaccinated. Kudos to the country’s health sector – doctors, para-medics, nurses, health workers, the vaccination drive was successfully concluding and gradually people breathed sigh of life with the hope that Covid-19 is a thing of the past.
But with the new cases surfacing in some parts of India, it seems, the threat is not yet over. Reports suggest that as of May 19, the country had 257 active cases. Delhi recorded 23 new cases, Andhra Pradesh reported four in the last 24 hours, Telangana confirmed one, and a nine-month-old in Bengaluru tested positive amid a gradual rise over the past 20 days. Kerala reported 273 cases in May alone. As per these reports, officials in several states reported more cases on Saturday, May 24.
As of May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies LF.7 and NB.1.8 subvariants as Variants Under Monitoring (VUMs), not as Variants of Concern (VOCs) or Variants of Interest (VOIs). But these are the variants reportedly driving the rise in COVID cases in China and parts of Asia. In India, the most common variant remains JN.1, comprising 53 per cent of samples tested, followed by BA.2 (26%) and other Omicron sublineages (20%), according to INSACOG. Though the concerned authorities say that most of the Covid cases reported in various states are mild in nature and the patients are under home care, the past experience suggests utmost caution.
While the Union Health Ministry asserts that it remains vigilant and, through its multiple agencies, is proactively monitoring the situation closely, the Health Department in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir too should be fully prepared for any untoward development. In past, the disease caught us all unawares but this time round our health authorities have to lot of experience to tackle with any such crisis so they should keep a close eye and continue monitoring the situation. People, on their part, should remain vigilant. Any Covid like symptom should be reported to the health authorities and standard protocol of isolation and sanitization should follow.