Can Delta plus variants cause third wave in India? Here’s what experts say

While people wonder about the preparedness of the government and country against the COVID-19 pandemic, experts have warned that the third wave of coronavirus is on the cards. They say that the outbreak of the third wave could occur within 12-16 weeks. On the other hand, people around the world have been dreading the much-talked-about new variants of the virus, including Delta plus.

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Following strict lockdown and COVID protocols in various states, the average number of daily COVID-19 cases in India in recent times has fallen to just above 50,000, from 400,000 in May. Earlier, crowding in public places and election rallies, among other things, were blamed for the outbreak of the second wave. If these things are repeated, experts believe that the third wave could come sooner, reported the BBC.

The Delta variant of coronavirus was one of the driving factors of the second wave. Researchers say that many such variants could occur in the future if the virus is allowed to be transferred through the vulnerable population. The Government of India called it the “variant of concern”. But, at the moment, there is no conclusive data that suggests that it could cause a third wave, reported the BBC.

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A Fathahudeen, a doctor, said,  “we can delay and contain it with appropriate measures like sequencing, to keep an eye on mutations, and strictly enforcing safety protocols”, talking about Delta plus.  Chandrakant Lahariya, a public policy and health systems expert, said that India was in a delicate process, and people behaved would determine the fate of the third wave, reported BBC.