COVID-19: Noida reports its first case; patient asymptomatic, says district medical official
District Surveillance Officer and public healthcare expert Dr Amit Kumar said the patient travelled to Nepal earlier this month and also went to work at his Gurugram office after returning.
- Dec 22, 2023,
- Updated Dec 22, 2023 9:50 AM IST
COVID-19: Noida reported its first case of coronavirus on Thursday when a 44-year-old Nepal returnee tested positive for Covid-19. His sample has been sent for genome sequencing as India is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases of late.
The patient lives in Noida Sector 36 but works at a multinational company in Gurugram, Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer Dr Sunil Sharma said on Thursday.
"His test sample has been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing. The result is awaited," Sharma said.
District Surveillance Officer and public healthcare expert Dr Amit Kumar said the patient travelled to Nepal earlier this month and also went to work at his Gurugram office after returning.
"The patient is asymptomatic and went for the COVID-19 test on his own," Kumar said, adding that this is the only confirmed case in Gautam Buddh Nagar so far. CMO Sharma said testing for the virus had come down in the district this year.
People can get themselves tested for Covid at primary and community health centres here and the district hospital, he added.
On Thursday, India confirmed 21 cases of the JN.1 Covid variant. With this, India recorded 594 fresh COVID-19 infections while the number of active cases increased to 2,669 from 2,311 the previous day.
As many as 19 cases of JN.1 have been traced in Goa and one each in Kerala and Maharashtra.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86. However, the global health body said that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.
In the wake of the rising COVID cases, all states and Union Territories (UTs) have been advised to send samples of Covid positive cases to Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) labs to facilitate tracking of new variants.
On Thursday, sources told India Today that COVID-19 cases are expected to rise in India in winter.
India Today reported that while another wave of coronavirus is unlikely in the country, cases could be on the rise.
Mandatory RT-PCR tests for travelers at airports are unlikely, with sources saying the focus would be on "targeted testing" instead.
Even though the number of cases is rising and the JN.1 sub-variant has been detected in the country, there is no cause of immediate concern as 92 per cent of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, indicating mild illness, PTI reported separately quoting government sources.
Also read: Covid cases expected to rise in India in winter, but there won't be restrictions: Sources
Also read: Covid scare, profit booking, and more: 5 reasons why Sensex plunged 931 points
COVID-19: Noida reported its first case of coronavirus on Thursday when a 44-year-old Nepal returnee tested positive for Covid-19. His sample has been sent for genome sequencing as India is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases of late.
The patient lives in Noida Sector 36 but works at a multinational company in Gurugram, Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer Dr Sunil Sharma said on Thursday.
"His test sample has been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing. The result is awaited," Sharma said.
District Surveillance Officer and public healthcare expert Dr Amit Kumar said the patient travelled to Nepal earlier this month and also went to work at his Gurugram office after returning.
"The patient is asymptomatic and went for the COVID-19 test on his own," Kumar said, adding that this is the only confirmed case in Gautam Buddh Nagar so far. CMO Sharma said testing for the virus had come down in the district this year.
People can get themselves tested for Covid at primary and community health centres here and the district hospital, he added.
On Thursday, India confirmed 21 cases of the JN.1 Covid variant. With this, India recorded 594 fresh COVID-19 infections while the number of active cases increased to 2,669 from 2,311 the previous day.
As many as 19 cases of JN.1 have been traced in Goa and one each in Kerala and Maharashtra.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86. However, the global health body said that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.
In the wake of the rising COVID cases, all states and Union Territories (UTs) have been advised to send samples of Covid positive cases to Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) labs to facilitate tracking of new variants.
On Thursday, sources told India Today that COVID-19 cases are expected to rise in India in winter.
India Today reported that while another wave of coronavirus is unlikely in the country, cases could be on the rise.
Mandatory RT-PCR tests for travelers at airports are unlikely, with sources saying the focus would be on "targeted testing" instead.
Even though the number of cases is rising and the JN.1 sub-variant has been detected in the country, there is no cause of immediate concern as 92 per cent of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, indicating mild illness, PTI reported separately quoting government sources.
Also read: Covid cases expected to rise in India in winter, but there won't be restrictions: Sources
Also read: Covid scare, profit booking, and more: 5 reasons why Sensex plunged 931 points