 | Samples of 12 international Covid positives sent for genome sequencing in BengaluruHealth Minister Dr K Sudhakar tweeted that in the month of December (till 24th), 2,867 passengers were tested at KIA, of whom 12 have tested positive. |
 | Bengaluru: ‘Seen 30 Omicron variants, herd immunity our strength’, says expertsSince almost everyone has been vaccinated with two doses and most people have taken the booster, the fear of hospitalisation is less. |
 | India on Covid alert: Screening of international passengers beginsWhile its first case in India was detected in October in Gujarat, the second one was found a month later from the same state. The third case was from Odisha. |
 | Surge in Covid cases: States, UTs asked to submit 'larger number' of samples for whole genome sequencingThe direction was issued during Friday's meeting by the INSACOG which reviewed the COVID-19 data to check the possibility of any new emerging variant or sub-variant. |
 | ‘Rising Covid numbers in five states localised spike’India is seeing a fresh surge in Covid-19 cases in some states — Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka — but the spike seems to be localised. |
 | COVID-19 surge due to Omicron sub-variants BA.4, BA.5 unlikely in IndiaIndia's top virologist T Jacob John said he is not expecting any surge in COVID cases in India after the two Omicron sub-types were detected in India. |
 | COVID-19: India's first case of Omicron XE variant confirmed by INSACOGThe confirmation from INSACOG came after XE - a recombinant variant of BA.1 and BA.2 sub lineages of Omicron - was reported from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala |
 | Very few recombinant variants of coronavirus have been found in India: INSACOGINSACOG also said none of those variants has shown either increased transmission, locally or otherwise, nor were they associated with severe disease or hospitalisation. |
 | Scientific evidence so far does not indicate woman in Mumbai infected with XE variant: SourcesINSACOG is conducting a genomic analysis of the case after a follow-up declared XE positive case of COVID-19 in Mumbai. |
