15 COVID cases reported in Gujarat; govt says no need to panic

Ahmedabad, May 22: Gujarat has recorded 15 new coronavirus cases after a long gap, with officials urging people not to panic as the present variant is less severe.

All the patients are being treated at home, they said.

Dr Nilam Patel, additional director (public health), said Gujarat currently has 15 active cases of JN.1 variant of COVID-19. The variant comes from the Omicron family, first discovered in August 2023, he said.

“Of the active cases in Gujarat, 13 are in Ahmedabad city and one each is in Rajkot city and Ahmedabad rural. These cases are of the Omicron JN.1 variant, which is less severe. It is not a matter of great concern for Gujarat or India at this point,” Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar.

He said thousands of cases have emerged in countries like China, Thailand and Singapore in recent weeks, and it is natural that the infection has spread to India because people travel from one place to another.

One of the COVID patients in Gujarat had visited Singapore, said Patel.

“Since this coronavirus variant is less severe, none of these 15 patients needed hospitalisation. They are getting treatment in home isolation. Though our hospitals have isolation wards, there is no immediate need to utilise them,” said the official.

“There is no need to panic. People just need to stay vigilant. Those having a cough and cold should avoid going outdoors,” he added.

Coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets. COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny or stuffy nose and body aches.