Covid Third wave in 6-8 weeks if people don’t follow Covid protocols: AIIMS chief

New Delhi: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Chief Dr Randeep Guleria has predicted that the third wave of COVID-19 is “inevitable” in India and may even hit the country within the next six to eight weeks.

Guleria said so far, only a sizeable population of the country has been vaccinated therefore Covid-appropriate behaviour needs to be followed aggressively, he said. The AIIMS director recommended the need for stricter surveillance and area-specific lockdowns in case of a significant surge in Covid cases.

“If Covid-appropriate behaviour is not followed, the third wave can happen in six to eight weeks. We need to work aggressively to prevent another large wave till vaccination kicks in,” Guleria said. “The moment a significant surge in cases in noted in a particular area and the positivity rate goes beyond 5%, area-specific lockdown and containment measures should be implemented, he added.

Guleria explicitly said that a national-level Covid lockdown cannot be the solution to tackle any Covid wave keeping economic activity in mind. India was hit severely by a brutal second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in April and May, claiming a massive number of lives daily, with a shortage in oxygen supply at various hospitals adding to the woes.

However, the number of cases has shown a downward trend and the positivity rate has also been shrinking in the last several days. From a daily case count of over 4 lakh, the number of new Covid-19 cases has been hovering around 60,000 in the last couple of days.