3rd wave of Covid 'inevitable': Govt
New Delhi: As the second wave of the Coronavirus keeps wreaking havoc in the country, the government on Wednesday warned that a third wave of the pandemic is "inevitable", although a time-frame for it could not be predicted.
In a press briefing by the Ministry of Health Affairs on Wednesday, K VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to Centre, said the long Covid wave of such "ferocity" that the country was experiencing currently "was not predicted".
"Phase three is inevitable given the higher levels of circulating virus, but it is not clear on what time-scale this phase three will occur. We should be prepared for new waves," said Raghavan.
He said although vaccines are efficacious against new mutations like the UK one and the double mutant, surveillance and vaccine updates are needed as the virus mutates further.
He said it is necessary to be prepared with changes in strategy in terms of vaccine and other kinds of situation.
The country's top scientific officer said a combination of less cautionary measures, less immunity in the population from the first wave is driving the second wave, which has killed thousands and infected lakhs of people across the country. Member, NITI Ayog, Dr VK Paul requested "physicians' fraternity" to come forward and provide teleconsultations to people and families at home who are infected with Coronavirus.
"The response to the changing virus remains the same. We need to follow the COVID- appropriate behaviour such as mask, distancing, hygiene, no unnecessary meetings and staying at home," Dr Paul said.
In reply to a question, he said that the disease is not spreading through animals, bot through human to human transmission.
Union Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said that the foreign aid coming from abroad is being monitored by a group of senior officials.
"Our technical wing has made guidelines to see that what hospital would the equipment be suitable for. The equipment is being sent to hospitals where an immediate need has been felt," he said.
1,764 oxygen concentrators, 1,760 oxygen cylinders, seven oxygen generation plants, 450 ventilators, and over 1.35 lakh Remdesivir vials have been received as aid from abroad between April 27 and May 4 in 38 medical institutions across 31 states and union territories. India has been receiving medical supplies and equipment for COVID-19 relief since April 27 from different countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Romania, Russia, the UAE, the USA, Taiwan, Kuwait, France, Thailand, Germany, Uzbekistan, Belgium and Italy.
