Third Covid wave may hit India in 6-8 weeks if people lower their guard, warns AIIMS chief

NEW DELHI: AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria on Saturday warned that India could witness a third wave of coronavirus infections in the next 6-8 weeks if people do not adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour.
He said that until a sizeable number of people are vaccinated, everyone must strictly follow Covid-appropriate behaviour such as wearing of masks and social distancing.
"If Covid-appropriate behaviour is not followed, the third wave can happen in six to eight weeks. We need to work aggressively to prevent another large wave till vaccination kicks in," Guleria told news agency PTI.
So far, India has fully vaccinated only about 5% of its estimated 950 million eligible population, leaving many millions vulnerable to infections and deaths.

The AIIMS chief also stressed on the need for stricter surveillance and area-specific lockdowns in case of a significant surge in cases.
"There needs to be aggressive surveillance strategy in Covid hotspots and lockdowns in case of any significant surge. The moment a significant surge in cases in noted in a particular area and the positivity rate goes beyond 5 per cent, area-specific lockdown and containment measures should be implemented," he said.

He, however, said there is no need for a national-level lockdown in case there is another surge as that will impact the economy.
On the likelihood of children being more vulnerable during a third wave, Dr Guleria reiterated there is no evidence so far to suggest the same.
'Third wave likely by October'
Several experts have warned against a third Covid wave in India, with some even suggesting that it is inevitable.

According to a snap survey by Reuters, a majority of the medical experts believe that India will witness the next Covid wave by October.
The experts said that although the next wave is expected to be controlled in a better way than the latest outbreak, the pandemic will continue to remain a public health threat for at least another year.

The warnings about the resurgence of Covid come at a time when India is reporting a sharp drop in fresh infections after a devastating second wave of the virus.
India on Saturday reported 60,753 new Covid cases and 1,647 fatalities. The active cases now comprise 2.55 per cent of the total infections, according to Union health ministry data.
(With inputs from agencies)