Third wave of COVID-19 to hit India soon?

There is no denying the fact that the number of daily COVID-19 cases is falling in India with each passing day, but there is still fear of third wave of coronavirus hitting the country after the end of festive season. As Diwali and some other festivals are round the corner, people are not following COVID-19 protocols at market places and are not wearing masks properly.

On the other hand, the cases of the AY.4.2 variant, a sub-lineage of the Delta variant of OVID-19, have already started surfacing in some states, raising fear that COVID-19 third wave would hit India soon of we fail to follow the COVID-19 guidelines. 

Here’s the update about the current situation of coronavirus in India:

WHAT IS THE AY.4.2 SUBVARIANT?

According to experts, the AY.4.2 belongs to Delta variant family which was first identified in India in October 2020. The Delta variant was largely responsible for deadly second wave of coronavirus in the country. 

The AY.4.2 subvariant was first reported in the UK in July this year. Researchers claim that although AY.4.2 is more infectious than Delta variant, it is not as deadly as Delta variant.

WHO on  AY.4.2 SUBVARIANT

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of AY.4.2 variant cases is increasing across the globe. The WHO recently said that a total of 26,000 cases have been detected of the AY.4.2 variant so far.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said, “The global number of reported cases and deaths from Covid-19 is now increasing for the first time in two months, driven by an ongoing rise in Europe that outweighs declines in other regions. It’s another reminder that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over. The virus will mutate and continue to circulate unless it is controlled.”

Why India should worry?

India faced a deadly second wave of Covid-19 in April and May this year but Covid-19 cases have now reduced significantly. However, the Centre and states are not taking things lightly and are urging the people to wear masks and maintain social distancing amid the festive season. It is feared that the number of COVID-19 cases would increase after Diwali.