Covid surge in Asia raises fears of more infectious variants
Since mid-May, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and several other Asian countries have experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases, raising concerns about the possible emergence of more infectious variants of the virus.
India, which currently has more than 5,700 active Covid cases, reported four deaths from the infection over the last 24 hours, News.Az reports citing The Independent.
Although hospitalisations due to Covid remain low, India’s health ministry is urging the public to remain careful, get tested quickly when symptoms appear, and continue to use masks in crowded spaces.
In Thailand, hundreds of Covid patients have required hospitalisation since the beginning of June, while at least one has succumbed to the virus. The country reported 28,300 cases over just the first two days of this month, with the Bangkok metropolitan area accounting for the bulk of them.
According to the Department of Disease Control, at least 70 people have died from Covid in the Southeast Asian country so far in 2025, mostly in large cities. The death rate has hovered around 0.106 per 100,000 people, suggesting the virus has not become deadlier.
Indonesia has advised its healthcare institutions to remain vigilant and boost Covid surveillance amid a surge in infections attributed to new highly transmissible but less deadly variants of the coronavirus.
"Cases are indeed increasing, but the rise is caused by variants that are relatively less deadly,” health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told reporters earlier this week.
Health authorities are monitoring Omicron subvariants LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 for driving the ongoing surge in infections in Asia.
Similar news
