PTIPublic health experts say India is hurtling towards the third wave as parts of the country see surge in the number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisation numbers begin to inch up.
In the last one week, there has been an exponential increase in numbers and the data seems to indicate that a new phase of pandemic has begun. Can we call it the beginning of a third wave?
"Of course," said Anurag Agrawal, chair, member of the WHO's technical advisory group on SARS-CoV-2 virus evolution. "We have both the necessary ingredients. A new variant (Omicron) capable of causing a new wave, and rising infections associated with increase in Omicron," he told ET.
Gautam Menon, professor of physics and biology at the Ashoka University, said the steep rise in cases seen in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata is comparable to that seen in South Africa and a number of countries in Europe from about a few weeks ago.
"Cases from had shrunk to less than 10,000 daily across India and a resurgence of Delta cases is very unlikely. The most reasonable explanation is that we are entering a new stage of the pandemic, one associated with a new variant," he said. In an interview to ET on Monday, NK Arora, chair, India's Covid-19 working group, said, "There is a rapid rise of cases in several states, particularly in and around major metro cities."
Experts predict an Omicron-led third wave. "India is into its Omicron-driven third wave. On January 2, there were 27,553 confirmed cases, increasing by 140% from the average two weeks ago. Though mortality follows 2-3 weeks later, deaths have also increased by 21% in this period," said Shahid Jameel, virologist and director of Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University. Jameel said upcoming elections could become super spreader events.
In the last one week, there has been an exponential increase in numbers and the data seems to indicate that a new phase of pandemic has begun. Can we call it the beginning of a third wave?
"Of course," said Anurag Agrawal, chair, member of the WHO's technical advisory group on SARS-CoV-2 virus evolution. "We have both the necessary ingredients. A new variant (Omicron) capable of causing a new wave, and rising infections associated with increase in Omicron," he told ET.
Gautam Menon, professor of physics and biology at the Ashoka University, said the steep rise in cases seen in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata is comparable to that seen in South Africa and a number of countries in Europe from about a few weeks ago.
"Cases from had shrunk to less than 10,000 daily across India and a resurgence of Delta cases is very unlikely. The most reasonable explanation is that we are entering a new stage of the pandemic, one associated with a new variant," he said. In an interview to ET on Monday, NK Arora, chair, India's Covid-19 working group, said, "There is a rapid rise of cases in several states, particularly in and around major metro cities."
Experts predict an Omicron-led third wave. "India is into its Omicron-driven third wave. On January 2, there were 27,553 confirmed cases, increasing by 140% from the average two weeks ago. Though mortality follows 2-3 weeks later, deaths have also increased by 21% in this period," said Shahid Jameel, virologist and director of Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University. Jameel said upcoming elections could become super spreader events.
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