All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Randeep Guleria said, a few days ago, that the third wave of COVID-19, may not hit India if the people follow the preventive measures.
Many health experts believe that the third wave is not going to be as severe as the second wave, while others believe it is going to be worse because the third wave is going to put children at risk.
Why Third Wave May Not Come
Today, on average, around 55 lakh COVID vaccine doses are being administered on a daily basis. The record was broken two days ago, when the total number of vaccines administered crossed 58 lakhs in 24 hours, taking the total number of vaccinated population to 69 crores. Out of those, 17 crore people have received both doses.
Guleria and other health experts like him firmly believe that by the time the third wave hits India, the total number of vaccinated population is going to increase, statistically making it difficult for the virus to spread. “If the COVID-19 norms are followed properly, the third wave may not be as severe as the second one,” he noted.
When the AIIMS chief was asked why the children are most at risk, he answered, “the general feeling is that adults are getting vaccinated, children are not being vaccinated and therefore if there is a new wave it will affect those who are more susceptible. Children will be more susceptible.”
However, he also added that in a month or two, children will also start receiving their vaccines.
It is also to be taken into consideration that the vaccines which are being administered in the country are effective against the virus strains that are active. However, in the month of July, the Beta variant of the virus, B. 1 .351, was first recorded in South Africa.
Beta, Gamma (P.1), Alpha (B.1.1.7) are variants that scientists all around the world are rather scared of because vaccines are not going to work against these.
Be Scared, Be Wise
The Gamma and Alpha variants were first recorded in the United Kingdoms and Brazil respectively. Although India is yet to fall victim to these variants, studies have already proven how fatal it could be if these strains do invade the country.
It is not only the fact that these variants are a lot more transmissible but also the fact that the mutations have made the virus almost immune to the vaccines developed all around the world, which makes these variants so scary.
In Michelle Robert’s BBC article, she wrote, “Beta carries a mutation, called N501Y, which appears to make it more contagious or easy to spread. Another mutation, called E484K, could help the virus dodge a person’s immune system, and may affect how well vaccines work.”
Even if the percentage of India’s vaccinated population increases, it may not be wise to think that the third wave is not coming. Some states have already figured it out, and have already started taking preventive measures in order to evade the fate they had to face during the second wave.
Also Read: FlippED: COVID-19 Vaccines Should Be Mandated For The Eligible
Mumbai’s Smartness
Mayor Kishori Pednekar said, “Third-wave of COVID-19 is not coming, it is here.” The daily COVID cases are on the rise again, it cannot be denied, and Maharashtra is leading the chart.
Along with Kishori Pednekar who urged the people to not celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray requested all political parties to cancel political rallies and religious events.
As some states have reopened schools, others are awaiting the third wave. West Bengal’s government has announced that they are going to reopen their schools after the Pujas.
As Maharashtra’s Ganesh Chaturthi, West Bengal’s Durga Puja come closer, can it still be considered that the third wave may not hit India?
Mental health experts believe that it will be difficult to keep people in their homes during the festivals for which they wait for so long unless a lockdown is issued.
After Nagpur has reported new COVIDcases, where people who had taken both the doses of vaccines caught the virus, Mumbai alongside many other places believes that the third wave is already here, and are bracing themselves for it.
Third Wave’s Triumph
As of today, the research data and records do suggest that the third wave is not going to be as severe as the second wave has been, but it mostly depends on the people.
After the cases in Nagpur it can be said that it is not guaranteed that both the doses of the vaccines make you immune to the virus, and if we tend to forget that and go on throwing the masks away like graduation hats, then no matter how difficult it sounds, the third wave will smile a triumphant smile.
Educational institutions have remained closed for one and a half years. For some, hospitals have become the most visited place, for others, the home has become equivalent to a prison cell. If we desire to go back to normality, a few more months of hardship is what is being asked for. If we control ourselves, we control our fates.
Image Sources: Google Images
Sources: India.com, Times of India, BBC
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