WHO issues BIG COVID update amid spike in cases, says high positivity rate after…, India, China, US report…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified the LF.7 and NB.1.8 subvariants as "Variants Under Monitoring", not as Variants of Concern or Interest.

Covid Update: India, China, and several other countries are currently witnessing a major spike in COVID-19 cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also expressed its concern over the resurgence of the virus. According to WHO, there has been an increase in the activity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus globally since mid-February 2025.

As per WHO data, the COVID test positivity rate has reached 11%, which is the highest since July 2024. As of May 27, India has a total of 1,010 active cases. The rise in cases comes amid the detection of two new sub-variants – NB.1.8.1 and LF.7 – which are currently under observation by global health authorities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified the LF.7 and NB.1.8 subvariants as “Variants Under Monitoring”, not as Variants of Concern or Interest.

Changes in Virus Variants

In an important update, the World Health Organization has said that since the beginning of 2025, there has been a slight shift in the trend of COVID-19 variants. There has been a significant decline in the LP.8.1 variant, while the NB.1.8.1 variant has been classified as a Variant Under Monitoring, as its cases are rising rapidly. By mid-May 2025, this variant accounted for 10.7 percent of all genomic sequences reported globally.

Unclear Seasonal Pattern

The current level of infections reflects a situation similar to this time last year. WHO has said that no clear seasonal pattern has been observed in the spread of COVID-19 so far. Additionally, surveillance systems in many countries are still limited, which remains a matter of concern.

Covid cases in India:

• Five more persons, including a foreign diplomat, tested positive for the coronavirus in West Bengal in the last 24 hours. The said that since Saturday, the total number of people testing positive for COVID-19 rose to 27.
• Karnataka recorded 40 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing the state’s active cases count to 126. While the positivity rate in the last 24 hours is 10.12 per cent, total tests done in Karnataka in the last 24 hours is 395, including 344 RTPCR and 51 RAT tests, according to a bulletin issued by the health department.
• Thane city in Maharashtra reported 12 new coronavirus positive cases, taking its active count to 72, officials said. Ten patients, who completed their home quarantine protocols, have recovered, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) said in a statement.
• Two individuals working at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) laboratory have tested positive for COVID-19, health officials said on Wednesday. According to Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Sandeep Chaudhary, both individuals are employees of the laboratory at BHU and the two had recently travelled to other states, suggesting the possibility of infection during their journeys.
• The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in the district on Wednesday reported a new COVID-19 case along with the death of another patient with the viral infection. There are now eight active COVID-19 patients within the municipal corporation’s jurisdiction, it said in a release, adding that two of them are undergoing treatment in hospital.