Despite a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in parts of Asia particularly Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand medical experts in India have assured the public that there is no reason to panic.
India recorded only 58 new Covid cases since April 28, even as overall testing rates remain low. This is partly because many people showing symptoms like viral fever are not being asked to undergo Covid testing.
A health ministry official confirmed that while both central and state authorities remain alert, there are no current plans to introduce new guidelines. “The caseload is low and doesn’t warrant concern,” the official said.
Reports from Singapore indicate a 28% rise in estimated Covid cases, reaching 14,200 in the first week of May. Hong Kong also saw an uptick, with 13.66% of respiratory samples testing positive in the week ending May 10, up from 6.21% four weeks earlier.
The variants responsible for the increase LF.7 and NB.1.8 are newer sub-lineages of the Omicron-derived JN.1 strain.
Sabine Kapasi, public health strategist and advisor to the UN Covid-19 Task Force, noted that India’s Covid situation is currently stable, with a small number of active cases. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu are testing more due to relatively higher case loads.
Data from India’s Covid dashboard shows that over 85% of the recent cases (46 out of 58) came from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
Dr. Tushar Tayal, consultant in internal medicine at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, described the recent rise as a seasonal viral trend. “Daily case numbers remain low, and only about 5% of active cases require hospitalisation a sharp decline from the 20–23% rate during the second wave in 2021,” he said.
Patients with viral symptoms often aren’t being tested. A resident of Chennai, Sampath (name changed), shared that despite multiple family members developing high fever, body pain, and signs of brain fog, doctors treated it as a viral fever and did not recommend Covid testing. “This episode feels worse than my past Covid infections, but no one is worried,” he said.
Dr. Tayal noted that hospitals continue to monitor for symptoms but have eased mandatory pre-surgical Covid testing, except in high-risk situations.
Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja, Group Medical Director at Max Healthcare, explained that the rising cases abroad are due to sub-variants of JN.1, which were also present during earlier outbreaks in India and the US. “These variants are highly contagious but typically cause mild illness,” he said.
Kapasi added that symptoms linked to the current variants such as fever, cough, fatigue mirror previous strains, with severity depending on individual health conditions. Additional symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, and brain fog.
Budhiraja emphasized that testing and isolation should be considered for suspected cases, especially among travelers. “At this point, there is no need for broad public advisories,” he said.
Key Points:
- India has reported only 58 new Covid cases since April 28.
- Experts describe the rise in cases as typical for the viral season.
- Only around 5% of current Covid cases in India need hospitalisation.
- Surge in Hong Kong and Singapore is driven by new Omicron sub-variants.
- These variants are highly transmissible but generally not severe.
