Published Jul 27, 2026 | 9:28 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 27, 2026 | 9:28 AM
Andhra Pradesh has detected Omicron RF.5 variant in COVID-19 cases
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh’s COVID-19 tally has risen to 49 after 10 new infections were reported on July 25, prompting intensified surveillance and hospital preparedness. With 24 patients hospitalised and four deaths recorded so far, health authorities say the situation remains under control, urging vigilance while ruling out any immediate cause for panic.
Andhra Pradesh reported 10 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, July 25, taking the state’s total tally to 49 since it began reporting infections this month, with health authorities intensifying surveillance across districts while maintaining that the situation remains under control.
The latest infections include three cases in Guntur district, two in NTR district, and one each in Alluri Sitarama Raju, Eluru, Krishna, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam districts, according to the state’s Medical and Health Department.
The spike comes nearly two weeks after the state issued a COVID-19 preparedness alert following a series of deaths and the detection of the Omicron RF.5 sub-lineage in Andhra Pradesh. Since then, the government has expanded testing, strengthened disease surveillance and directed hospitals to remain prepared for any increase in cases.
The department said 302 people have been tested so far. Of the 49 confirmed cases, 24 patients are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals, while 16 are under medical supervision in home isolation.
“District Rapid Response Teams have undertaken the task of monitoring the health condition of those who tested positive and identifying their close contacts,” the department said in its latest bulletin.
Officials said RT-PCR kits have been supplied to designated laboratories for testing suspected cases, while surveillance teams continue to monitor patients and their contacts across districts.
Also Read: Two more COVID-19 deaths take Andhra Pradesh’s toll to four
District-wise data released by the Health Department shows East Godavari accounting for the highest number of cases at 11, followed by Guntur with nine and YSR Kadapa with eight.
Visakhapatnam has reported five cases, while NTR district has recorded three. Kakinada, Eluru and Bapatla have reported two cases each, with isolated infections reported from several other districts.
The department said five patients have recovered and been discharged, including three from YSR Kadapa district and one each from Guntur and Eluru.
So far, four COVID-19-related deaths have been reported in the state, including three from YSR Kadapa district and one from Kakinada district.
Also Read: Andhra Pradesh detects Omicron RF.5 variant in COVID-19 cases
The state’s heightened surveillance began after four COVID-19-related deaths were reported over the past few weeks.
The first two deaths occurred in Kadapa and Rajampeta in Annamayya district, involving patients with serious underlying illnesses who later tested positive for COVID-19.
The Kadapa patient, a 43-year-old man admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) with bilateral pneumonia, fever and breathlessness, died after testing positive for the virus. Health officials subsequently traced his contacts, several of whom also tested positive.
Another patient from Rajampeta, who was undergoing treatment at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, for lung infection and kidney disease, also tested positive before his death.
Subsequently, two more COVID-19-related deaths were reported from Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, prompting the Health Department to strengthen surveillance and send positive samples for genome sequencing.
On 10 July, the state government directed all districts to enhance surveillance for Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), increase testing among eligible patients, strengthen contact tracing and ensure hospitals remained prepared with isolation wards, oxygen support, medicines and testing facilities.
A review meeting with district disease surveillance teams was held on 18 July, during which officials were instructed to maintain constant vigilance over case detection, testing, patient monitoring and treatment arrangements.
Also Read: Andhra Pradesh issues statewide COVID-19 alert
The review meeting coincided with the receipt of genome sequencing results from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, which confirmed that four samples from YSR Kadapa district belonged to the Omicron RF.5 sub-lineage.
Following the sequencing results, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav had said there was no need for panic, noting that COVID-19 cases in the state remained sporadic and that hospitals had been fully prepared according to the prevailing situation.
He said teaching hospitals had established dedicated isolation wards with adequate beds, while testing kits and other essential infrastructure had been made available across the state.
Director of Medical Education Dr Vishnuvardhan had also sought to reassure the public, saying the World Health Organisation (WHO) was monitoring RF.5 as part of routine genomic surveillance and that there was no scientific evidence indicating the variant was more severe than other circulating Omicron sub-lineages.
Health officials have said RF.5 evolved from the JN.1 lineage and is not a recombinant variant, with symptoms remaining similar to those seen with other Omicron infections, including fever, sore throat, cough, headache, fatigue and body aches.
The Medical and Health Department said hospitals across Andhra Pradesh continue to remain on alert despite the relatively small number of active cases.
“Special beds for COVID-19 patients have been prepared in all secondary and tertiary care hospitals. Necessary medicines, protective equipment, testing kits and other medical supplies have been stocked,” the department said.
Officials said designated laboratories have adequate RT-PCR testing capacity, and district surveillance teams are continuing active monitoring of positive cases to detect any clusters quickly.
The latest increase in Andhra Pradesh also comes as neighbouring Telangana issued a public advisory on Friday, 24 July, citing the Union Health Ministry’s assessment that the current increase in COVID-19 cases across the country represents a mild seasonal uptick similar to that seen last year and that there is no evidence of increased disease severity or the emergence of a new Variant of Concern.
For Andhra Pradesh, the focus now remains on sustaining surveillance, testing and hospital preparedness to ensure that sporadic infections do not develop into larger clusters, even as officials continue to reassure the public that there is no cause for panic at present.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
