India detects first case of covid sub-variant JN.1 in Kerala | Should we worry?

News Network
December 16, 2023

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India has detected its first Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 case from Kerala’s Karakulam. The sample from a 79-year-old woman had returned a positive result in an RT-PCR test conducted on November 18, reported news agency PTI, adding that she had mild symptoms of influenza-like illnesses and had recovered from Covid-19.

Earlier, a traveler from Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirapalli district was detected with the JN.1 sub-variant of Covid-19 in Singapore on October 25.

No increase in cases was observed in Tiruchirapalli district or other places in Tamil Nadu following the strain being detected in them. “No other case of JN.1 variant has been detected in India,” the source said.

Currently, over 90 percent of Covid-19 cases in India are mild and under home isolation, according to the news agency.

JN.1 SUB-VARIANT

The JN.1 sub-variant was first identified in Luxembourg and has since spread to several countries. The variant is said to be a descendant of the Pirola variant (BA.2.86).

It contains a significant number of unique mutations, particularly in the spike protein, that have a chance to contribute to increased infectivity and immune evasion among masses, a source explained to the agency.

However, initial data suggests that updated vaccines and treatments can protect people against JN.1 sub-strain, the source stated.

This sub-variant’s resemblance to earlier sub-strains with distinct spike proteins is also noteworthy. Most of the changes in the JN.1 sub-variant are found in the spike protein, which likely correlates to increases in infectivity and immune evasion.

SHOULD INDIA BE WORRIED?

“India is keeping a vigil and that’s the reason no hospitalisation or severe disease has been reported so far,” quoted news agency ANI to INSACOG Chief, NK Arora.

Rajeev Jayadevan, the National Indian Medical Association Covid Task Force’s co-chairman shared insight with ANI, “After a seven-month gap, cases are rising in India. In Kerala, there are reports of people getting Covid, but the severity so far appears to be the same as before.”

Jayadevan added that the sub-strain is capable of spreading faster and evading immunity. “JN.1 is rising quickly in several Western countries, and India being connected by international travel with the rest of the world should be no exception,” he said.

CASES OF JN.1 SUB-VARIANT

Globally, 3,608 cases of BA.2.86 and its sub-variants have been reported mostly from Europe and North America.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the updated Covid-19 vaccines are likely to offer protection against the JN.1 sub-strain.

It also said an analysis from the federal government’s SARS-CoV-2 Interagency Group suggests treatments and testing will remain effective, they said. 

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
November 22,2025

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The Israeli regime’s forces have killed two Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip every day since the ceasefire began in early October, UNICEF has warned.

The UN children’s agency said on Friday that Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinians in Gaza even though the agreement was meant to stop the killing.

“Since 11 October, while the ceasefire has been in effect, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip. Dozens more have been injured. That is an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire took effect,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said in Geneva, reminding that each number in the statistics represents a child whose life had ended violently.

“These are not statistics,” he said. “Each child had a story, a family, and a future that was stolen from them.”

Data from Palestinian factions, human rights groups, and government bodies recorded since the US-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect on October 10 show that Israeli forces have carried out numerous attacks, each constituting a separate ceasefire violation.

UNICEF teams say they repeatedly continue to witness heart-wrenching scenes of fearful Palestinian children sleeping outdoors with amputated limbs, while others live as orphans in flooded, makeshift shelters.

“I saw this myself in August. There is no safe place for them. The world cannot normalize their suffering,” Pires said, lamenting that the UN could “do a lot more if the aid that is really needed was entering faster.”

The UNICEF spokesperson warned that with the advent of winter, the risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children will increase.

He warned, “The stakes are incredibly high” for children as winter acts as a threat multiplier, where children have no heating, no insulation, and few blankets. He said respiratory infections rise.

“Too many children have already paid the highest price,” Pires said. “Too many are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them it would stop and that we would protect them.”

“Now we must act like it,” the UNICEF spokesperson added.

Since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, it has killed nearly 70,000 people in the territory, most of them women and children, and injured over 170,000 more, while reducing most of the structures in the enclave to rubble.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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