covid-alert-in-key-nagaland-districts-after-new-variant-detected

The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland, has issued an urgent advisory on Thursday after the detection of COVID-19 variants NB.1.8.1 and LF.7 across states in India. These have been designated as Variants Under Monitoring (VUMs) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

The advisory, sent to Chief Medical Officers, Medical Superintendents, and District Hospital Administrators, calls for enhanced surveillance, public awareness, and hospital readiness. The districts of Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, and Mon have been prioritised for intensified monitoring.

 

Health officials have been instructed to track Influenza-Like Illnesses (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI), with attention to patterns, clustering, and SARI proportions among total cases. Recognising the clinical similarities between COVID-19 and Influenza, the department urges the public to follow basic precautions such as wearing masks in enclosed spaces, avoiding poorly ventilated areas, and maintaining hand hygiene.

Also read: New Covid variant triggers alert in Himachal

 

While the current symptoms of COVID-19 are reportedly mild—ranging from low-grade fever and sore throat to fatigue and mild gastrointestinal upset—the department has stressed continued vigilance.

 

District health units are directed to ensure hospital preparedness by maintaining adequate stocks of medicines, ICU and isolation beds, oxygen supply, and PPE kits, along with training of healthcare personnel. Increasing vaccination coverage and testing through RT-PCR and rapid antigen kits in line with MoHFW guidelines is also a priority.

 

The advisory further emphasises coordinated efforts across all districts, with timely testing, reporting, and sample referral for both Influenza and COVID-19 through platforms such as the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). Regular updates from district health officials have been mandated to ensure an organised response.