Third Wave of COVID-19 Inevitable: Govt’s Principal Scientific Adviser

New Delhi: Principal Scientific Adviser to Centre K Vijay Raghavan today warned that a third wave of COVID-19 pandemic is ‘inevitable’ and the authorities should be prepared for it.

“The Phase 3 is inevitable, given high level of circulating virus. Though it is not clear on what time scale Phase 3 will occur. We should be prepared for new waves; previous infections/vaccines will cause pressure on virus for changes to escape; need scientific solutions”, Raghavan said while briefing the media.

Variants are transmitted same as original strain. It doesn’t have properties of new kinds of transmission. It infects humans in a manner that makes it more transmissible as it gains entry, makes more copies and goes on, same as original, he added.

New variants will arise across the world. But variants which increase transmission will plateau, he said while adding immune evasive variants and those which lower or increase severity will arise going ahead.

Speaking about reason for the declining in the first wave of COVID-19, he said as infection rose, so did immunity among those infected. A standing level of immunity in population and cautionary steps caused the decline of 1st wave.

Phase 2, now has ‘fitter viruses’ arising out of increased post immunity due to previous infections, he added.