India has witnessed a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, with the number of active infections crossing 3,000. The states most affected in this fresh wave are Kerala, Maharashtra, and Delhi. According to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are currently 3,395 active COVID-19 cases in the country as of Sunday morning.
This marks a dramatic increase of over 1,200 per cent compared to last week, when the active caseload stood at just 257 on May 22 and rose to 1,010 by May 26. Between Friday and Saturday, India reported 685 new COVID-19 infections and four deaths. Kerala continues to report the highest number of new cases, with 189 infections recorded on Friday.
The state currently has 1,336 active cases. Maharashtra follows with 467 active infections, while Delhi has 375. Other states witnessing a notable rise include Gujarat (265), Karnataka (234), West Bengal (205), Tamil Nadu (185), and Uttar Pradesh (117). Additional increases have been reported from Rajasthan (60), Puducherry (41), Haryana (26), Andhra Pradesh (17), and Madhya Pradesh (16). So far this year, India has recorded 26 COVID-related deaths.
Health experts attribute this surge to new sub-variants of Omicron, which was responsible for a major COVID-19 wave in India in 2022. According to Dr. Rajiv Behl, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), genome sequencing from western and southern parts of the country has revealed that the current rise is driven by sub-variants LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1.
Of these, the first three are more prevalent. Dr. Behl noted that the spread initially began in southern India, moved to the west, and is now being reported in the northern regions. He also said that the cases are being closely monitored under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
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Despite the spike, health authorities have urged the public not to panic. Dr. Behl emphasised that the severity of infections remains mild and manageable. He explained that the assessment of any COVID wave depends on three factors: how fast the virus is spreading, whether the variants can evade existing immunity, and how severe the resulting disease is.
While there has been a rise in cases, the transmission rate is not as high as it was in previous waves, and there is no evidence that the new sub-variants are significantly evading immunity from vaccines or past infections. Additionally, most current cases do not involve severe illness in individuals without underlying health conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also addressed the recent COVID-19 developments. In a statement released on May 23, the WHO classified the LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 variants as "Variants Under Monitoring." While some countries have seen a simultaneous rise in hospitalizations where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, the WHO noted that current data does not suggest the variant causes more severe illness compared to others. The UN health agency also affirmed that existing COVID-19 vaccines are still expected to offer protection against both symptomatic and severe cases caused by these variants.
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