Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the Medical and Health Department officials to be fully prepared and focus on preventive steps in view of the reports that COVID-19 new variant JN.1 is spreading fast.
At a review meeting on the COVID-19 situation held at his camp office at Tadepalli near here on Friday, the Chief Minister told them to keep the village clinics, village and ward secretariats on high alert for taking preventive measures despite doctors’ advice that there is no need to panic.
He said that senior officials should create awareness among the staff of village clinics and secretariats on identifying the features of the new variant and on taking preventive measures. Also, introduce teaching through AI (Artificial Intelligence) in all medical colleges, he said.
Earlier, officials explained that the people who have attracted the new variant are fast recovering without developing complications and without the necessity of visiting hospitals. The new variant is not like the Delta type but it is spreading fast and suspects are being made to undergo medical tests in government hospitals, they said.
The Chief Minister was further informed that rapid testing kits and personal care kits are being kept at village and ward secretariats and government hospitals. While necessary medicines, oxygen concentrators and D-type cylinders are made available at all hospitals, oxygen infrastructure is also being readied and oxygen can be supplied by running PSA plants wherever necessary, they said.
The officials informed him that the samples of the people who tested positive are being sent to the Genome Sequencing Lab in Vijayawada for further examination to identify new variants. As many as 56,741 oxygen beds are also kept ready at various hospitals.
Medical and Health Minister V. Rajini, Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy, Special CS (Medical and Health) M.T. Krishna Babu, Secondary Health Director S. Venkateswar, Medical Education Director D.S.V.L. Narasimham and other senior officials were among those present.
Precautions
Meanwhile, four JN.1 cases — one each in NTR, Eluru, Visakhapatnam, and Srikakulam districts — were reported in the State.
When contacted, Director of Health Dr. K. Padmavathi said that all the four patients were doing well. A 71-year-old among them is being treated in a hospital in view of the age factor. People are requested to wear masks and take necessary precautions to avoid contracting JN.1, she added.
