COVID-19 third wave in India? Expert makes Big claim amid rising Omicron cases

Amid rising Omicron cases in India, a top health expert has claimed that COVID-19 third wave is likely to hit India and the government must prepare a roadmap for booster dose in order to protect people.

“We are at real, a real risk. There is a need for preparedness as the new variant is extremely infectious and it ‘evades immunity’, said Fortis Escorts Heart Institute Chairman Dr. Ashok Seth was quoted as saying by India.com.

“The seriousness of the illness is totally related to the immune response of one’s body. India is a vast country and can have a lot of patients being admitted to the hospital even if a small proportion becomes seriously sick,” Seth added.

Seth noted that booster doses “increase immunity against COVID” and three groups require booster dose at the earliest, including those who are immunosuppressed like transplant patients. The second group is the elderly people and the third group includes healthcare workers.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) had warned on Tuesday that Omicron variant is spreading faster than any previous strain. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “77 countries have now reported cases of Omicron and the reality is that Omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet. Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant.”