Over 600 cases of new Covid variant XBB1.16 likely to be driving the surge in India: INSACOG data

Amid the surge of Covid-19 cases in India, new data by Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) revealed that a total number of 610 cases of Covid’s XBB.1.16 variant have been detected across the country.

The data further showed that the samples of this variant have been found across 11 states and Union Territories.

This variant is believed to be behind the recent surge in cases with Maharashtra and Gujarat having the highest number of cases at 164 each, 93 in Telangana and 86 in Karnataka, the data showed.

The XBB 1.16 variant was first identified in January when two samples tested positive, and in February, a total of 59 samples were found. Experts have warned that this variant could be responsible for the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
India has been witnessing an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the country recently.

India logged 1,805 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases have surpassed the 10,000-mark after 134 days, according to the Health ministry data updated on Monday. 

The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 3.19 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 1.39 per cent, said a PTI report.

Furthermore, six more Covid-related deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 5,30,837. The total tally of Covid cases is 4.47 crore (4,47,05,952), the data stated.

The active cases now comprise 0.02 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid recovery rate has been recorded at 98.79 per cent, according to the health ministry's website.
Meanwhile, Delhi government-run hospitals on Sunday did a mock drill to examine the preparation to deal with a sudden spurt in cases across the country.

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