Strong measures can help avert third coronavirus wave: Top govt scientist

'If we take strong measures, the third wave may not happen in all the places or indeed anywhere at all,' says K VijayRaghavan

Days after saying third Covid wave is 'inevitable' for India, government's principal scientific advisor said on Friday that strong containment measures and effective implementation of guidelines can help the country avoid it completely. 

"If we take strong measures, the third wave may not happen in all the places or indeed anywhere at all. It depends much on how effectively the guidance is implemented at the local level, in the states, in districts and in the cities everywhere," Dr K VijayRaghavan said.

Speaking at a press briefing on the coronavirus situation in the country, VijayRaghavan said third wave depends on how effectively the guidance is implemented at the local level, in the states, in districts and in the cities everywhere.

The second wave has been particulary devastating for the country as compared to the first, with the dead piling up and crematoria being filled up. There has been a sweeping collapse of the medical infra across the country, with hospitals sending SOS calls multiple times a day. 

On Friday, India has recorded over 412,000 fresh coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day, taking its cumulative caseload to 21,491,598. The country's daily death toll inched closer to 4,000 and it now has 3.65 million active cases.

As the virus mutates further, a third wave of Covid infection is inevitable and it is necessary to be prepared for new waves, K VijayRaghavan had cautioned on Wednesday.

The top scientific officer said it was not expected that the second wave would hit the country with such ferocity. "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," he said.

Raghvan 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.