Third Covid wave inevitable: GOI

May 05, 2021 16:57

The GOI's Covid briefing.

K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to Centre:

-- A 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 prepare for new waves.

-- Variants are transmitted same as original strain. It doesn't have properties of new kinds of transmission. It infects humans in a manner that makes it more transmissible as it gains entry, makes more copies & goes on, same as original.

-- Vaccines are effective against current variants. New variants will arise all over the world and in India too but variants that increase transmission will likely plateau. Immune evasive variants and those which lower or increase disease severity will arise going ahead.

-- Scientists of India and all over world are working to anticipate these kinds of variants and act against them rapidly by early warning and developing modified tools. It's an intense research program, happening in India and abroad.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Djokovic targets peak form at French Open

Novak Djokovic said he is building up to hit top form for his French Open title defence.

BJP raises population figs, ties it to Congress's Muslim quota

Muslims' share in the reservation will keep on increasing also because of "conversion and infiltration because they are having a secular cover from them (the Congress)", he added.

Diamond League: Chopra set to start Olympic build-up along with Jena

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra's Paris Games preparations will be put through a stern test when he begins his season in the first leg of the prestigious Diamond League one-day meet series against a star-studded but familiar field, in...

Arjun holds Carlsen; Gukesh struggles in Warsaw

World Number seven Arjun also drew two more games to remain within striking distance of early leader Kirilll Shevchenko

UWW suspends Bajrang; SAI approves his training stint but wrestler cancels...

Wrestling's world governing body UWW has suspended Bajrang Punia till the end of this year following NADA's decision to hand him a provisional suspension for refusing to undergo a dope test.