Amid a rising wave of COVID‑19 in Kerala driven by Omicron JN.1 subvariants—primarily LF.7 and XFG—active cases have surged to 2,223, with 96 patients needing treatment, especially among the elderly and those with underlying conditions. In this context, former ICMR DG Prof. Balram Bhargava emphasised India’s readiness to tackle new variants. He highlighted that Truenat, a portable RT‑PCR platform, is capable of rapidly detecting emerging strains and recombinants like XFG—even in remote areas—supporting swift containment and response efforts.
