Covid-19 India Cases Live Updates: NB.1.8.1, a new Covid-19 subvariant, has been detected in India. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution has designated this variant as ‘Variant Under Monitoring’ — one with significant changes in virus characteristics but whose epidemiological impact remains unclear. At least one sample of this variant has been submitted to India’s Covid-19 genome sequencing consortium INSACOG from Tamil Nadu. A majority of the samples sequenced in India over the last couple of weeks were BA.2 and JN.1 variants.

Reasons behind Covid-19’s recent surge: The number of Covid-19 cases has surged in India over the past few weeks due to a list of factors including decreasing immunity from vaccines administered over a year ago, relaxed public behaviour and the emergence of a new variant NB.1.8.1, with a higher transmissibility, according to experts and reports. Changes in weather and air quality can also influence respiratory infections.