Veteran actress and Bigg Boss 18 contestant Shilpa Shirodkar has conducted a positive test for Kovid -19. He shared the news on Instagram with a brief message: “Hello people! I have been tested positively for Kovid. Stay safe and wear your masks!” His announcement has created concern among fans and highlights the increasing number of Covid-19 cases being reported globally.

Shilpa’s diagnosis comes at a time when health experts are closely monitoring a fresh spike in covid cases, especially in Southeast Asia. Singapore has emerged as a new hotspot, with recently operated by two new Omikron subordinates- LF.7 and NB.1.8. Both variants are descendants of JN.1 descendants, who were responsible for a global wave in 2024.

These new variants are not yet considered more dangerous than previous strains to see symptoms, they are spreading quickly. Most of the cases remain light, but experts urge the public to be aware of common symptoms, including:

persistent cough

sore throat

nausea and vomiting

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Brain fog or confusion

Health officials emphasize that in high-risk groups, people with elderly or underlying health conditions-if symptoms deteriorate or do not improve, they should pay attention to therapy.

Kovid Serge in Singapore

According to the Health Ministry of Singapore, Covid-19 cases of Covid-19 increased to 14,200 during the week from April 27 to May 3, rapidly increased from 11,100. New variants, LF.7 and NB.1.8, are now responsible for more than two-thirds of all indexed cases in the country. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet been classified as a variant of concern, their rapid dissemination has increased monitoring.

Vaccination still provides protection. The good news is that the current Covid-19 vaccines continue to protect against serious illness from these new variants. Booster shots recommend for Singapore’s health authorities:

People aged 60 years and above

Chronic health

Aged care facilities

Healthcare and frontline workers

About a year after the previous shot, the booster dose is recommended, and the vaccines are available to all people aged six months and above.

Other countries in the regions such as Hong Kong and Thailand have also reported an increase in Kovid -19 cases, indicating a broad regional pattern of transmission. While the disease associated with LF.7 and NB.1.8 is generally mild, health officials have warned that their high transmission rate can give rise to local outbreaks if caution is not taken.