As the number of COVID-19 cases increases in the country, Kerala has recorded around 182 cases, and the health department has issued new guidelines for caution and mask use. Health Minister Veena George said that the public must remain vigilant and the state needs to stay prepared. The highest cases are in Kottayam district (57), followed by Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. The COVID variants JN 1, LF 7, and NB 1.8 are currently active in Southeast Asia. Here's the advisory issued by the Kerala Health Department.

1) Masks are mandatory while visiting hospitals
2) Those with cold, cough, shortness of breath and sore throat should also wear masks.
3) In public, senior citizens, pregnant women and others with weak immune systems are also urged to wear masks.
4) While on duty, healthcare workers should wear masks.
5) Hospitals should conduct RT-PCR tests for symptomatic patients and maintain supplies like protective gear and testing kits. 

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A highly transmissible variant
The COVID-19 variant JN 1, a sublineage of BA.2.86 aka Pirola, is reportedly highly transmissible, though it appears to cause milder illness. It was first identified in Luxembourg in 2023 and is described as a 'stealth variant,' as it spreads quietly and quickly. The risk of transmission is quite high at a time when global travel isn't under any restrictions. The various symptoms associated with the variant are diarrhoea, fever and chills, nausea, dry cough, congestion or a runny nose, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, and muscle or body aches.

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