No evidence of highly virulent COVID-19 variant in T.N., says Health department

Amid reports of COVID-19 related deaths in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu’s Health Department has said there is no evidence that a highly virulent COVID-19 variant is circulating in Tamil Nadu and COVID-19 infections are currently lower than in the 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 died due to COVID-19 infection in Andhra Pradesh. Giving details about the cases, it said that a 52-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh was shifted from a private hospital in Tirupati to a private hospital in Vellore on June 26 for specialised care. He had Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterial infection and COVID-19 infection. He also had co-morbid conditions of diabetes and chronic kidney disease. He died on June 28 due to complications caused by severe Klebsiella pneumoniae infection and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

In another case, a 68-year-old man was undergoing treatment for colon cancer at a private hospital in Vellore. He developed respiratory failure and died. In this case, COVID-19 was an incidental finding. A 46-year-old man from Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at a hospital there, had died. Andhra Pradesh’s Health department is currently reviewing his medical details.

In Tamil Nadu, COVID-19 surveillance continues as part of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme through routine surveillance. COVID-19 testing is also routinely done before surgeries (pre-operative test) for patients with severe respiratory illness and not responding to treatment, and in other patients.

Based on this, COVID-19 infection was confirmed in 990 persons in 2024, 1,250 persons in 2025 and 335 persons so far this year, recording a total of 2,575 cases. The department said all these cases were detected through routine disease surveillance and are not an outbreak. Most patients had only mild symptoms. There is no evidence of increased disease severity or unusual clinical manifestations, the release said.

Results of Whole Genome Sequencing conducted at the National Institute of Virology, Pune showed that the currently circulating variant is associated with mild illness, and only low community transmission have been identified, it said.

Preventive measures

The directorate said that there is no need for the public to be alarmed.

Elderly persons, pregnant women, individuals with chronic medical conditions and those with low immune systems are advised to continue following appropriate preventive measures.

The department requested the public to follow measures, including maintaining hand hygiene, observing proper cough and sneeze etiquette. The DPH is continuously monitoring the situation and taking the required preventive measures. Public are requested not to believe rumours and rely only on official information, the release said.