Covid-19 is back in the news headlines with a new variant and reports of rising cases – as of this day, there were reports of 127 new cases involving a new variant JN.1 and of these Kerala reporting 111 and a death. What should the public read into this for apparently questions abound: How serious is it seeming this time? Is this the only worry? After all, it is not unusual in these cold wintery months to find people coughing or complaining of some respiratory ailment. We asked Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organisation’s first and former chief scientist. “The WHO has called this JN.1 a variant of interest (technically, JN.1 is a sublineage of BA.2.86, which is an Omicron subvariant of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19) with not enough data, as yet, on either transmissibility of severity.” So, at the moment, it is not known whether JN.1 is going to be any different from other variants.
The doctor has also maintained overtime that one would have to expect new variants and their sublineages surfacing from time to time and places like Singapore, which have very good data tend to also report a slight increase in hospitalisation, which happen with uptick in number of cases.
Why Masking Matters Now
So, what precaution do people need to take and what needs to be done at the moment? “This is time people take to wearing a mask yet again and this is not just because of covid but also for the simple reason that all the respiratory infections are also on a rise in this season. Some of these viruses include: influenza, H1N1 and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus which some might find a rather off-putting jargon for some common respiratory viruses).
Masking helps not just to protect self but also others when one is suffering from cold. It needs to be practiced across all age groups especially those in crowded settings or in closed spaces.
Waning Immunity
The element of added caution, especially for the vulnerable age groups and those with comorbidities, with waning immunity, since it has been two years since many took the vaccination. It is important to stay watchful of any warning signs – be it prolonged cough, breathlessness, difficulty in breathing, persistent high fever, vomiting or inability to retain food, low oxygen saturation (which can be known by the pulse oximeter, which many today have in their homes) and get to the hospital if there are any signs of respiratory distress.
Even for severe influenza, the doctor says, while there are anti-viral drugs like Oseltamivir, the treatment needs to start early with a standard protocol.
Flu Shots
That apart, it is also perhaps time to take the flu shot, especially by the vulnerable groups and pregnant women. This should ideally be before the season begins.
Know more, test more
The doctor also sees a case for increase in testing. “Considering that there are so many respiratory viruses going around now, more testing will help know the proportion of people with Covid versus flu versus RSV,” she says.