JN.1 variant in India: Amid rise in COVID-19 cases in India, Practo witness 10X increase in consultations

Practo, a digital healthcare platform, revealed that it witnessed a staggering ten times increase in Covid consultations, with a notable spike observed in the last two weeks of December 2023.

According to the data shared by Practo, a significant 53 percent of consultations came from Bangalore, Delhi reported 15 percent, Hyderabad reported 14 percent, Chennai reported 7 percent, Mumbai saw 5 percent, Pune 4 percent and rest of India reported 4 percent.

This increase in tele-consultations not only showcases the efficiency of remote healthcare but also demonstrates a proactive approach in addressing symptoms while minimizing exposure risks, Dr. Manoj revealed.

It reinforces the crucial role of telemedicine in maintaining continuous care during surges, emphasizing the ongoing necessity for remote healthcare services to navigate these challenging times effectively, he said.

India on Monday reported 605 new COVID-19 cases. According to the Health Ministry, the number of active cases of the COVID-19 infection stood at 4,002.

Meanwhile, the number of cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 reported from 12 states till January 7 rose to 682.

In the last 24 hours, four deaths two from Kerala and one each from Karnataka and Tripura  have been reported, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am.

According to a report by news agency PTI, 199 cases have been reported from Karnataka, 148 from Kerala, 139 from Maharashtra, 47 from Goa, 36 from Gujarat, 30 from Andhra Pradesh, 30 from Rajasthan, 26 from Tamil Nadu, 21 from Delhi, three from Odisha, two from Telangana and one from Haryana.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but cases began to increase after the emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions.

After December 5, 841 new cases were reported on December 31, 2023 which was 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said as quoted by news agency PTI. Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation.