COVID-positive numbers in the daily official communique may be in single digit, but the new virus strain JN.1 has clearly transmitted to a majority of population in the twin cities, as per an analysis from the waste water sampling being conducted by scientists of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and Tata Institute for Genetics & Society (TIGS-Bengaluru).
“This new strain, a close relative of Omicron variant, is an interesting and peculiar one evading the immunity obtained through previous infections or vaccines infecting people. It is spreading silently as most cases are asymptomatic or even mild where an infected person may not even know. But, it has not shown any major illness in clinical context,” says TIGS director Rakesh Mishra, also former CCMB director.
In an exclusive interaction, the top scientist points out that the number of hospitalisations is very low but waste water sampling being conducted across cities of Hyderabad (18 open drains), Bengaluru (26 sewage treatment plants that cover most of the city), Vijayawada, Pune and others, have been showing increasing trend in virus being discharged through the toilets into the drains in all the municipal areas since the beginning of last month.
