No evidence of highly virulent variant of COVID-19 in TN, says health department

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Amid reports of COVID-19-related deaths in Andhra Pradesh, the Tamil Nadu Health Department said there is no evidence that a highly virulent variant of COVID-19 is circulating in Tamil Nadu and that COVID-19 infections are currently lower than in previous years.

In a press release issued on Monday (July 13, 2026), the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine said that recently newspapers reported that two persons had died of COVID-19 infection in Andhra Pradesh. Giving details of the cases, it says a 52-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh was transferred from a private hospital in Tirupati to a private hospital in Vellore for specialized care on June 26. He had a Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterial infection and a COVID-19 infection. He also had comorbid conditions of diabetes and chronic kidney disease. He died on June 28 of complications from a severe Klebsiella pneumoniae infection and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

In another case, a 68-year-old man was being treated for colon cancer at a private hospital in Vellore. He developed respiratory failure and died. In this case, COVID-19 was an accidental finding. A 46-year-old man from Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh who was being treated for COVID-19 at a hospital there has died. The Andhra Pradesh Health Department is currently reviewing his medical records.

In Tamil Nadu, surveillance of COVID-19 continues as part of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program through routine surveillance. Testing for COVID-19 is also routinely done before surgery (preoperative testing) in patients with severe respiratory disease unresponsive to treatment and in other patients.

Based on this, 990 people were confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 in 2024, 1250 people in 2025, and 335 people so far this year, for a total of 2575 cases. The ministry said all these cases were detected through routine disease surveillance and were not an outbreak. Most patients had only mild symptoms. There was no evidence of increased disease severity or unusual clinical manifestations, the report said.

Results of whole-genome sequencing performed at the National Institute of Virology, Pune indicated that the currently circulating variant is associated with mild disease and only low community transmission was identified.

Preventive measures

The directorate said there was no need for public concern.

The elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases and people with weakened immune systems are advised to continue to take appropriate precautions.

The department asked the public to follow precautions, including observing hand hygiene, following proper cough and sneeze etiquette. VAT continuously monitors the situation and takes the necessary preventive measures. The public is asked not to believe rumors and rely only on official information, the report said.

Published – 14 Jul 2026 05:15 IST