"India Reports 7 COVID Deaths for Second Day; Active Cases Near 5,000"

Covid-19 cases continue to rise in India, with the country recording 7 Covid-related deaths for the second consecutive day. Of these, 3 deaths have occurred in Maharashtra and 2 in Delhi. The number of active cases in Delhi has increased to 562. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, the total number of active Covid cases in the country has reached 4,866, with Kerala, Delhi and Maharashtra being the worst affected states.

Delhi reported two new deaths from Covid-19 on Thursday, including a five-month-old baby who already had seizures, and an 87-year-old man who suffered from heart and kidney problems. Both died due to other serious health conditions along with Covid-19. A total of seven deaths have been reported from Covid in Delhi this year, and 105 new cases were recorded on Wednesday.

Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of three Covid deaths, all of whom were elderly and had comorbidities. Karnataka also reported two deaths, including a 65-year-old cancer patient and a 42-year-old man with respiratory illness. The total number of Covid deaths in the country this year has now reached 51, including 17 in Maharashtra, 9 in Kerala, 7 in Delhi and 6 in Karnataka.

According to health ministry officials, most Covid-19 infected persons are having mild symptoms, and are recovering at home. However, most of those who are dying already had comorbidities such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and respiratory problems. The ministry has advised all states and union territories to be prepared to deal with any potential crisis.

According to health experts, four subtypes of Omicron (LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB.1.8.1) are the main reason behind the increase in recent infections. Of these, NB.1.8.1 is a new subtype, which the World Health Organization has classified as a 'variant under surveillance'. This subtype has been found in at least one sample taken from Tamil Nadu, India. Experts believe that immunity acquired from vaccination or prior infection is weakening over time, making people more vulnerable to re-infection.

The Ministry of Health has held meetings with the Disaster Management Cell, Emergency Management Response (EMR) Cell, National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) to monitor the situation of Kovid in the country. Apart from this, the status and preparedness of Kovid has also been evaluated with representatives of central government hospitals in Delhi and all states and union territories.