Two COVID-19 variants detected in India, says monitoring body

One case of the newly emerging COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 and four cases of the LF.7 subvariant have been detected in India, according to the data from Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).

As of May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies LF.7 and NB.1.8 as Variants Under Monitoring, not as Variants of Concern or Variants of Interest, reported PTI. However, these variants reportedly contribute to the rise in COVID-19 cases in China and parts of Asia.

According to data from the INSACOG, one case of NB.1.8.1 was identified in Tamil Nadu in April, while four cases of LF.7 were reported in Gujarat in May.

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), jointly initiated by the Union Health Ministry of Health, and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) with Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is a consortium of 54 laboratories to monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2.

In India, the most prevalent variant remains JN.1, accounting for 53 per cent of samples tested, followed by BA.2 (26 per cent) and other Omicron sublineages (20 per cent), reported PTI.

Although WHO's preliminary risk assessment classifies NB.1.8.1 as posing a low public health risk globally, its spike protein mutations—such as A435S, V445H, and T478I—suggest increased transmissibility and immune evasion compared to other variants.

As of May 19, India had 257 active COVID-19 cases.

A recent meeting chaired by the Director General of Health Services, and attended by experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), ICMR, and other key health institutions, reviewed the situation.

Several regions have reported localised increases. Delhi recorded 23 new cases, Andhra Pradesh reported four in the last 24 hours, Telangana confirmed one, and a nine-month-old in Bengaluru tested positive amid a gradual rise over the past 20 days. Kerala reported 273 cases in May alone.