India's top institute debunks severity of new COVID-19 sub-variants
A new study from Pune's National Institute of Virology found that the latest COVID-19 sub-variants in India aren't causing more severe illness than earlier Omicron strains.
Researchers looked at nearly 450 samples since April, including cases from people who passed away.
Even though there's been a recent spike in cases, hospitalizations haven't gone up, and most deaths were among older people with other health issues.
Rise in cases due to new variants
The rise in cases was mainly due to new variants like JN.1.16 and XFG (with LF.7 and LP.81.2), but these didn't make people sicker than before—hospital stays stayed about the same.
Study suggests sticking with current public health strategies
The study suggests sticking with current public health strategies since these variants aren't more dangerous.
It also highlights how important it is to keep tracking the virus and testing vaccines to stay prepared for whatever comes next.