Third wave in 6-8 weeks if Covid-appropriate behaviour not followed: AIIMS chief

We need to work aggressively to prevent another large wave till vaccination kicks in, Guleria told PTI.There needs to be aggressive surveillance strategy in Covid hotspots and lockdowns in case of any significant surge.

If Covid-appropriate behavior is not followed and crowding not prevented, the next wave of the viral infection can strike the country in the next six to eight weeks, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria warned on Saturday.

Until a sizeable number of the population are vaccinated, Covid-appropriate behavior needs to be followed aggressively, he said and stressed the need for stricter surveillance and area-specific lockdowns in case of a significant surge.

Guleria reiterated that till now, there is no evidence to suggest that children will be affected more in the next wave of the infection.

Earlier, India's epidemiologists had indicated that the third wave of COVID-19 is inevitable and is likely to start from September-October.

India was hit severely by a brutal second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in April and May, claiming a massive number of lives daily, with a shortage in oxygen supply at various hospitals adding to the woes.

However, the number of cases has shown a downward trend and the positivity rate has been shrinking in the last several days. From a daily case count of over 4 lakh, the number of new COVID-19 cases has been hovering around 60,000 in the last couple of days.

''If Covid-appropriate behavior 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 PTI.

There needs to be an aggressive surveillance strategy in Covid hotspots and lockdowns in case of any significant surge. The moment a significant surge in cases is noted in a particular area and the positivity rate goes beyond 5 percent, area-specific lockdown and containment measures should be implemented, he said.

''However, a national-level lockdown cannot be a solution (to rein in the pandemic) keeping economic activity in mind.'' With 60,753 new Covid cases being reported in a day, India's total tally rose to 2,98,23,546, while the number of active cases stands at 7,60,019, the lowest in 74 days, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday.

The death toll climbed to 3,85,137 with 1,647 fresh fatalities and active cases comprise 2.55 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 96.16 percent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)