Kerala Tops India’s Covid Tally With 182 Cases; Health Minister Urges Caution
Kerala: Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases across Southeast Asia, Kerala has emerged as the worst-affected state in India, reporting nearly 182 fresh cases so far in May. State Health Minister Veena George has urged citizens to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions as the state steps up its surveillance efforts.
Other states such as Maharashtra recorded 44 cases, and Tamil Nadu recorded 34. Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Sikkim have recorded fresh cases as well. Odisha recorded its first COVID case after nearly two and a half years.
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Following a meeting with the state Rapid Response Team (RRT) in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, George said that there is a possibility of an increase in infections amid rising cases in Southeast Asian countries.
While the current Covid variants have shown high transmissibility, Minister George reassured the public that “the severity is not high”.
Kottayam district has accounted for the highest number of infections, standing at 57, and is followed by Ernakulam, which has 34 cases. Coming in third is the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, with 30 cases recorded.
George added that Kerala’s surveillance has been stepped up, and the state government is closely tracking both infection trends and hospitalisation rates.
Coinciding with a rise in infections across Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand, Kerala also saw a surge in total COVID cases this month, with 250 recorded earlier this week. The state health minister noted that the Omicron sub-variants JN.1, LF.7, and NB 1.8 are currently circulating in Southeast Asia. These sub-variants are highly contagious but have milder symptoms.
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The JN.1, a subvariant of BA.2.86, known as Pirola, carries a single mutation in its spike protein which helps the virus evade immunity, according to Yale Medicine. Researchers are still studying the exact severity of the variant.
The Kerala Health Department has advised individuals experiencing symptoms such as cold, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath to wear masks. Wearing masks is mandatory in hospitals, and vulnerable groups—including pregnant women, senior citizens, and those with weakened immune systems—are strongly urged to wear masks in public settings.
