With a recent increase in Covid-19 cases reported from parts of India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reassured the public that the current wave is not severe and there is no need for alarm.
ICMR Director General Dr. Rajiv Behl on Monday clarified that infections remain mild and manageable. He attributed the rise in cases to new Omicron sub-variants, namely LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1. “The first three are more prevalent,” he said, while noting that genome sequencing efforts are ongoing to identify if any other variants are circulating.
“Samples from other places are being sequenced and we will know in a day or two if there are more variants,” Dr. Behl stated.
He pointed out that the upward trend began in the south, followed by the west, and now is being observed in northern India. All reported cases are currently being tracked through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), alongside ICMR’s national respiratory virus surveillance network.
Dr. Behl also explained the three key parameters used to assess the situation: transmissibility, immune escape, and severity.
“Whenever cases increase, we look at three things. It’s dependent on three factors with the first being how transmissible it is, conversely how fast the cases are increasing. Previously we saw Covid cases double in two days, but this time it is not that cases are increasing rapidly,” he said.
On whether these variants can bypass previous immunity from infection or vaccination, he noted:
“Secondly, are the new variants evading our previous immunity? When new variants come, they evade immunity — be it natural or from the vaccine. But there’s nothing to worry about at the moment.”
He also reassured the public that the current infections are largely non-severe.
“Are we getting a very severe disease without comorbidities? As of now, the severity is generally low. There’s nothing to worry about. We should be vigilant and we should always be prepared.”
A high-level meeting was held on Sunday, chaired by the Union Health Secretary, and attended by top health officials including Dr. Behl and the Director General of Health Services.
“We have been closely monitoring the situation. We should be vigilant at this moment, but there is no cause to worry. The general public should be vigilant. There is no need to take any such action as of now,” Dr. Behl added.
He emphasized that global data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that these newer variants are not resulting in serious illness.
“People do not need to take any immediate action. They should follow normal precautions. So, there is nothing special to do right now.”
On the subject of booster doses, Dr. Behl said that no new vaccinations are currently necessary. “India has the capability to make vaccines and if need be, we can make any vaccine in no time.”
As per WHO’s classification as of May 2025, LF.7 and NB.1.8 are categorized as Variants Under Monitoring, not as Variants of Concern or Variants of Interest. However, these variants are contributing to the spike in cases in China and other parts of Asia.
