India's COVID-19 Cases Jump as JN.1 Variant Brings Unusual Symptoms in Kerala, Delhi, and Beyond

May, 28 2025

COVID-19 Makes a Comeback in India—And It's Not the Usual Story

It felt like the coronavirus pandemic had finally taken a backseat, but now, India is once again battling a steady climb in COVID-19 cases. As of May 28, 2025, active cases have crossed the 1,000 mark. While this number might not sound huge compared to the peaks we saw before, the upward swing is making both doctors and public health officials sit up and pay attention.

The biggest spike is showing up in Kerala, with Mumbai, Delhi, and the rest of Maharashtra not far behind. What’s driving the sudden uptick? Experts are pointing straight at a fast-moving variant known as JN.1. Unlike earlier strains, this one is throwing some curveballs with its symptoms.

Strange New Symptoms and Emerging Variants

If you thought you knew how COVID-19 looks and feels, the JN.1 variant is ready to challenge that. Instead of the familiar fever and cough, doctors have noticed two symptoms that weren’t common before: a stubborn, lingering throat irritation that just won’t quit, and skin rashes that seem to come out of nowhere. People with these signs are sometimes shrugging them off as allergies or stress, but health workers want folks to stay alert—these could be the earliest warning signs of JN.1 infection.

The story doesn’t end there. Other genetic offshoots, such as NB.1.8.1, first caught in Tamil Nadu last month, and LF.7, newly noted in Gujarat, are also in the mix. Right now, these two variants seem mostly limited to their original regions, without the wider spread we’re seeing with JN.1. But nobody can say how long that will last, especially with the way previous variants have surprised everyone.

Hospitals aren’t overflowing, and the symptoms remain mild for most people. But, just like in a handful of other Asian cities—Singapore and Hong Kong, to name a couple—health authorities are quietly ramping up surveillance and telling people not to let their guards down. That means dusting off the sanitizer, remembering to mask up in crowded places, and maybe reconsidering that overdue booster shot.

Public health officials, especially in Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Gujarat, are sounding a clear warning: Don’t get complacent just because things seem less severe this time. Immunity, even for those who got their shots or had COVID-19 before, might be fading. And if the virus is changing how it shows itself, it’s easy to miss the signs until local outbreaks spike.

One piece of good news? So far, there’s no sign that JN.1 or the other variants are more deadly or contagious than what we’ve seen previously. But every new symptom makes the job harder for health workers to spot and stop new cases in time.

If you’re living in any of the emerging hotspots—Kerala, Delhi, Maharashtra, or Gujarat—it’s worth paying extra attention to your health. Persistent throat irritation or an unexplained rash could mean it’s time to get tested. Keeping an eye on these subtle changes might seem like overkill after so many years of COVID-19, but experts warn it’s exactly what’s needed to keep numbers down and hospitals running smoothly as India faces yet another round in the pandemic fight.