What’s going on? – Firstpost

A surge in Covid-19 cases in some regions of Asia has sparked fears in India. Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Thailand are reporting an uptick in coronavirus cases. In Singapore, the rise in Covid-19 infections has been attributed to strains linked to the JN.1 variant.

India has also seen a spike in fresh COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the country currently has 257 active cases of coronavirus.

Which states in India have seen new Covid-19 cases? Is the resurgence of the coronavirus in parts of Asia a concern?

Let’s take a closer look.

Covid cases in India

India has reported 164 fresh Covid-19 cases since May 12, with Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu recording the highest number of cases.

Kerala logged in 69 new cases, Maharashtra 44 and Tamil Nadu 34 in the past week. Other states reporting new infections are Karnataka (eight), Gujarat (six), Delhi (three), and one each in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Sikkim.

Maharashtra also witnessed two casualties, however, doctors say they were not due to coronavirus. Two patients in Mumbai’s King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital recently died. One was a 59-year-old cancer patient and another was a 14-year-old girl suffering from kidney disease. They had also tested positive for Covid-19.

Now, Mumbai’s civic body has clarified that their deaths were not linked to Covid-19. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the patients died because of co-morbidities and not coronavirus.

It said that the two patients were not from Mumbai and were brought to the hospital from Sindhudurg district and Dombivli in Thane district.

“The Health Department of the BMC is constantly monitoring the spread of Covid-19. From January 2025 to April 2025, the number of Covid-19 patients has been found to be very low. But since the beginning of May, there have been some cases of Covid-19. However, the BMC administration is appealing to citizens not to panic in this regard,” the civic body said in a statement, as per PTI.

Covid cases in India are ‘under control’

Amid an increase in
Covid-19 cases in parts of Asia
, India’s Union Health Ministry has said the situation is “under control” in the country.

The statement came after the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday (May 19) convened a review meeting.

According to the government, the preliminary information suggests that the active Covid-19 cases in India are “mostly mild” and “not associated with unusual severity or mortality”.

“Almost all of these cases are mild, with no hospitalisation required,” an official source told PTI. The official added that the number of Covid infections in India is quite low compared to the population.

The review meeting by DGHS was attended by officials from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) division, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central government hospitals.

The Health Ministry monitors viral respiratory illnesses, including Covid-19, through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR.

“The Union Health Ministry remains vigilant and proactive in monitoring the situation closely, ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to safeguard public health,” sources said, as per the news agency.

Experts urge caution

Health experts say India could see a fresh wave of Covid-19 due to waning immunity among the public.

The JN.1 variant reported in parts of Asia is already present in India. It is a descendant of the BA.2.86, also known as ‘Pirola’ strain, belonging to the Omicron lineage. The
JN.1 strain
can evade immunity and is more transmissible than other Omicron variants.

Speaking to ET HealthWorld, Dr Vikas Maurya, Senior Director and Head of Pulmonology at Fortis Shalimar Bagh, said that JN.1 has so far caused only mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms and the risk of severe disease remains low.

“We are primarily seeing mild forms of illness — not many cases of severe complications,” he added.

Experts also emphasise carrying out testing and genomic surveillance to identify the variants circulating presently.

“Covid-19 has never truly disappeared — it has lingered in an endemic form, occasionally causing local or regional outbreaks. The current uptick in cases abroad is not necessarily due to a more dangerous strain but is likely the result of waning immunity across the population, particularly since regular vaccinations have slowed,” Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, Group Medical Director, Max Healthcare, told ET HealthWorld.

“As immunity diminishes over time, especially among vulnerable groups like the elderly or those with comorbidities, the virus finds an opportunity to spread,” he warned.

The report mentioned, citing experts, that if infections rise, authorities should implement public health measures like wearing masks, regularly washing hands and observing physical distancing.

With inputs from agencies