India may see third wave of Covid-19: AIIMS Chief Randeep Gularia

On Tuesday, AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Gularia said that India may see third wave of COVID-19 Pandemic. If, the virus continues to evolve further and develops an immune escape mechanism. He also added that the weekend lockdowns and night curfews imposed by some states in order to bring down the covid-19 cases will hardly work.

On the question of is nationwide lockdown is the only option left in response to the Covid emergency in India, this Dr. Gularia said, a lockdown for a sufficient duration is needed to cut the virus transmission.

He also added, three things need to be looked at here. First, the hospital infrastructure needs to be improved. Second, decreasing the number of covid cases in an aggressive manner and third, vaccines roll out. He emphasized on we need to break the virus chain. In order to do that, if we can reduce the close contact between humans, one can think of reducing the cases.

Dr. Randeep Gularia, further added,” We can have a lockdown, a regional lockdown based on a response like the UK did. It is something that decision-makers need to take a call on because they have to organize everything in terms of lives and livelihood and the essential services are maintained also looking after the people who are daily wage workers. The lockdown has to be aggressive.

IF VIRUS EVOLVES FURTHER THIRD WAVE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY- RANDEEP GULARIA   

If the virus continues to evolve the third wave could be the possibility, said AIIMS Chief Dr. Gularia. “One has to understand few things. First, how quickly we can vaccinate people in order to increase their immunity? Second, how does the virus evolve? If the virus evolves further and develops the immune escape mechanism, then there is a high chance that India may see the third wave of the pandemic.” Dr. Randeep Gularia said.

He further added, “We may possibly see 3rd wave of covid-19 but I am hopeful by that time, a large population will get vaccinated and the wave will not be as big as the current one and it will be easier to manage.”

The virus is spreading at a much faster rate, the curve itself is so sharp, as compared to the last year. We can’t just keep blaming the lack of Covid-appropriate behavior. There has to be some degree of change in the virus, As per Randeep Gularia.

Dr. Randeep Gularia said, “If one sees the 1918 pandemic, the second wave was much more ferocious as compared to the first one. It was linked to the apt behavior but somewhere we felt, because of our lack of preparedness and vaccination availability, the situation would not have been as ferocious what we see.”

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