Latest news with #Omicron
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Covid cases surged during end May, declined after June 13: Govt
New Delhi: A surge in Covid-19 cases was witnessed during the end of May this year, which peaked around June 13 after which the trajectory of cases declined significantly in the country, Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. As reported by states and UTs, most of the cases were mild in nature and resolved on their own, Jadhav said in a written reply in the Upper House. The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 28 issued a Disease Outbreak News (DON) wherein it highlighted that since mid-February, global SARS-CoV-2 increased activity, particularly in countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific regions, including India. The report also pointed out that while since early 2025, global SARS-CoV-2 variant trends have been shifting slightly and reporting of NB.1.8.1 variant (Nimbus) is increasing, the overall increase in Covid-19 is broadly consistent with levels observed during the same period of the previous year, Jadhav said. As per WHO risk assessment, the available evidence on NB.1.8.1 and XFG does not suggest additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages. "By the end of May, a surge in Covid-19 trajectory of cases was also witnessed in the country, which peaked around June 13. Since then, the trajectory of Covid-19 cases in the country has declined significantly," Jadhav said. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on May 29 issued an advisory to all the states and UTs to undertake a review of hospital preparedness with special focus on the availability of diagnostics, essential drugs, PPEs, isolation beds, medical oxygen, ICU and ventilator supported beds. The states and UTs were also requested to closely follow the trend of Influenza Like Illness/Severe Acute Respiratory Illness while undertaking testing for Covid-19 as per this ministry's 'operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy in context of Covid-19', Jadhav said. They were also advised to refer to an adequate number of samples for whole genomic sequencing, the minister said. The ministry also urged all the states and UTs to undertake mock drills to assess preparedness and operational readiness of all the health facilities, including requisite infrastructure, logistics (drugs and equipment) as well as healthcare workforce, he added.>
Gulf Insider
2 days ago
- Health
- Gulf Insider
CDC: COVID-19 Infections Rise In Some Parts Of US
While activity for COVID-19 remains low in the United States, recent statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that infections are rising in parts of the country. The CDC said in a July 18 update that 'COVID-19 activity is increasing in many Southeast, Southern, and West Coast states. COVID-19 levels are ranked as 'low,' the second-lowest level on the CDC's scale, according to the update. Citing wastewater data for COVID-19, the agency said that positive tests are increasing around the United States, while emergency department visits appear to be increasing among children ages 0 to 4. Wastewater detections for COVID-19 updated by the CDC suggest that high levels of the virus are being reported in California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, South Carolina, and Texas. No states were experiencing very high levels, according to a map from the agency. Seasonal influenza activity is considered by the CDC to be low, and RSV activity is considered very low, the CDC said. Overall, U.S. respiratory illness activity, which refers to 'how frequently a wide variety of respiratory symptoms and conditions are diagnosed by emergency department doctors,' remains very low. Other illnesses that are covered in the update include Mycoplasma pneumoniae, sometimes called 'walking pneumonia,' which the CDC said has become elevated in some parts of the United States over the past several weeks. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a type of bacteria, can cause upper respiratory tract infections but sometimes causes pneumonia, researchers say. Meanwhile, cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, 'are lower than their peak in November 2024, although they remain elevated in 2025 compared with immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic.' Whooping cough has the highest risk of causing severe disease and complications in children ages 1 and younger, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms of the bacterial infection include a bout of coughing fits that can last weeks, vomiting while coughing, as well as a characteristic 'whooping' sound that occurs during inhalation after the coughing fits. The CDC has not updated its COVID-19 variant estimates since mid-June. In the last update, it noted that there were growing proportions of variants such as NB.1.8.1 and XFG, which were both declared 'variants under monitoring' by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May and June, respectively. 'The available evidence on NB.1.8.1 does not suggest additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages,' the WHO said about the NB.1.8.1 strain. The U.N. health body issued a similar statement about the XFG variant in June. The NB.1.8.1 appears to have been driving a rise in cases across mainland China since earlier this year. Because of the Chinese Communist Party's history of blocking access to information and publishing inaccurate data, including underreporting COVID-19 infections and related deaths since 2020, information provided by local doctors and health workers is more valuable for understanding the situation on the ground there. The recent CDC update comes after agency researchers said that COVID-19 appears to follow a twice-per-year pattern. Cases usually peak in the summer, or July through September, before peaking again in the winter, or December through February. 'Our analysis revealed biannual COVID-19 peaks in late summer and winter, a pattern that is expected to persist as long as the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and cyclical S1 diversity continues,' CDC researchers wrote in a report released earlier this month.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
COVID-19 cases surged during May-end, declined after June 13, Rajya Sabha told
A surge in Covid-19 cases was witnessed during the end of May this year, which peaked around June 13 after which the trajectory of cases declined significantly in the country, Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (June 22, 2025). As reported by States and UTs, most of the cases were mild in nature and resolved on their own, Mr. Jadhav said in a written reply in the Upper House. The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 28 issued a Disease Outbreak News (DON) wherein it highlighted that since mid-February, global SARS-CoV-2 increased activity, particularly in countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific regions, including India. The report also pointed out that while since early 2025, global SARS-CoV-2 variant trends have been shifting slightly and reporting of NB.1.8.1 variant (Nimbus) is increasing, the overall increase in Covid-19 is broadly consistent with levels observed during the same period of the previous year, Mr. Jadhav said. As per WHO risk assessment, the available evidence on NB.1.8.1 and XFG does not suggest additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages. "By the end of May, a surge in Covid-19 trajectory of cases was also witnessed in the country, which peaked around June 13. Since then, the trajectory of Covid-19 cases in the country has declined significantly,' Jadhav said. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on May 29 issued an advisory to all the states and UTs to undertake a review of hospital preparedness with special focus on the availability of diagnostics, essential drugs, PPEs, isolation beds, medical oxygen, ICU and ventilator supported beds. The States and UTs were also requested to closely follow the trend of Influenza Like Illness/Severe Acute Respiratory Illness while undertaking testing for Covid-19 as per this ministry's 'operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy in context of Covid-19', Mr. Jadhav said. They were also advised to refer to an adequate number of samples for whole genomic sequencing, the Minister said. The Ministry also urged all the states and UTs to undertake mock drills to assess preparedness and operational readiness of all the health facilities, including requisite infrastructure, logistics (drugs and equipment) as well as healthcare workforce, he added.
News18
2 days ago
- Health
- News18
Covid cases surged during end May, declined after June 13: Govt
Last Updated: New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) A surge in Covid-19 cases was witnessed during the end of May this year, which peaked around June 13 after which the trajectory of cases declined significantly in the country, Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. As reported by states and UTs, most of the cases were mild in nature and resolved on their own, Jadhav said in a written reply in the Upper House. The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 28 issued a Disease Outbreak News (DON) wherein it highlighted that since mid-February, global SARS-CoV-2 increased activity, particularly in countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific regions, including India. The report also pointed out that while since early 2025, global SARS-CoV-2 variant trends have been shifting slightly and reporting of NB.1.8.1 variant (Nimbus) is increasing, the overall increase in Covid-19 is broadly consistent with levels observed during the same period of the previous year, Jadhav said. As per WHO risk assessment, the available evidence on NB.1.8.1 and XFG does not suggest additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages. 'By the end of May, a surge in Covid-19 trajectory of cases was also witnessed in the country, which peaked around June 13. Since then, the trajectory of Covid-19 cases in the country has declined significantly," Jadhav said. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on May 29 issued an advisory to all the states and UTs to undertake a review of hospital preparedness with special focus on the availability of diagnostics, essential drugs, PPEs, isolation beds, medical oxygen, ICU and ventilator supported beds. The states and UTs were also requested to closely follow the trend of Influenza Like Illness/Severe Acute Respiratory Illness while undertaking testing for Covid-19 as per this ministry's 'operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy in context of Covid-19', Jadhav said. They were also advised to refer to an adequate number of samples for whole genomic sequencing, the minister said. The ministry also urged all the states and UTs to undertake mock drills to assess preparedness and operational readiness of all the health facilities, including requisite infrastructure, logistics (drugs and equipment) as well as healthcare workforce, he added. PTI PLB ARI view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 19:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
India's current Covid surge peaked around June 13; most cases mild: Govt
India's present Covid surge peaked around June 13 this year with the surge in cases beginning around May end, date shared by the Union ministry of health and family welfare in Parliament on Tuesday said. Also, the variants that led the surge included the Omicron descendants NB.1.8.1 and XFG. The variants that led the surge included the Omicron descendants NB.1.8.1 and XFG. (Representative file photo) 'By the end of May, 2025, a surge in Covid-19 trajectory of cases was also witnessed in the country, which peaked around 13 June 2025. Since then, the trajectory of Covid-19 cases in the country has declined significantly. As reported by States/UTs, most of the cases were mild in nature and resolved on their own…,' said minister of state for health, Prataprao Jadhav, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha in the ongoing Monsoon Session. The minister added that the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 28 issued a Disease Outbreak News (DON) wherein it highlighted that since mid-February, global SARS-CoV-2 activity had been increasing, particularly from countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific regions, including India. Also Read: Ludhiana dist clocks two new Covid cases, tally reaches 104 The said report also pointed out that while since early 2025, global SARS-CoV-2 variant trends have slightly shifted and reporting of NB.1.8.1 variant (Nimbus) is increasing, the overall increases in Covid-19 were broadly consistent with levels observed during the same period in the previous year. 'As per WHO risk assessment, the available evidence on NB.1.8.1 and XFG does not suggest additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages,' Jadhav replied. On May 29, the health ministry issued an advisory to all states and Union territories to undertake review of hospital preparedness with special focus on the availability of diagnostics, essential drugs, PPEs, isolation beds, medical oxygen, ICU and ventilator supported beds. All states were also requested to closely follow the trend of Influenza like illness or severe acute respiratory illness while undertaking testing for Covid-19 as per health ministry's 'Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in context of Covid-19'. States were also advised to refer to an adequate number of samples for whole genome sequencing. Jadhav added that the ministry also urged all states to undertake mock drills to assess preparedness and operational readiness of all health facilities in the country including requisite infrastructure, logistics (including drugs and equipment) as well as healthcare workforce in the country. 'With the long-term goal to better prepare our country against public health emergencies, Pradhan Mantri - Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) has been launched with the intent to enhance the capacity of primary, secondary and tertiary health care facilities/systems and institutes for identifying and managing any new and emerging diseases,' he replied.
