India’s COVID-19 situation?

• COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 5,755 as of Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard.

• The virus is co-circulating with other seasonal viruses, with the dominant strain being an Omicron sub-variant.

• The cases have not been severe and the reproductive number is not a high contagion factor.

• The COVID-19 variants in India are descendants of the Omicron variant, first reported in November 2021. Emerging sub-variants, NB.1.8.1 and LF.7, are descendants of JN.1, a sublineage of the Omicron BA.2.86 variant.

• Most cases are mild, with symptoms similar to the common cold or seasonal flu.

• Most patients have managed well, with most requiring only an upper respiratory infection.

• The key difference with new strains is their speed, not their severity. Hospitals are well-prepared, and the healthcare system remains under no immediate strain.

India’s COVID-19 Immunization Drive and Vaccine Stocks

• India launched the world’s largest COVID-19 immunisation drive in January 2021, administering over 220 crore doses of vaccines.

• Director General of ICMR, Rajiv Bahl, stated that there is no need for mass booster doses for COVID-19 vaccines at present.

• As cases rise, individual doctors could recommend booster doses to patients on a case-by-case basis.

• The need for mass vaccination could arise due to a mutation in the virus or its spread.

• Most states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal, have no stocks or supplies of the vaccine at present.

• Doctors across the country see no need for a mass vaccination drive at present.

• WHO guidelines recommend vaccines primarily for individuals above 70 years of age, those who are immunocompromised, and patients with multiple co-morbidities.

• State governments have taken a more cautious stance, stating that the requirement for vaccination depends on many factors.

• Kerala has not advocated for or against COVID booster shots due to the lack of epidemiological data that booster doses offer enhanced protection against emerging immune-evasive variants.

• The Delhi High Court directed the Centre to submit a thorough status report detailing its actions regarding sample collection, collection centers, and transportation of samples.