Thread by @NewsBytesApp

A possible third wave of the coronavirus in India will likely be less severe than the devastating previous wave, according to the ICMR. This finding was backed by the Indian medical body and Imperial College of London's CHROMIC model. #ThirdWave
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As per the model, states or districts that had witnessed a higher number of cases in the second wave (Delhi and Maharashtra), may see a decline now. The main reason cited for that is the immunity acquired by people from natural infections in the past wave and/or post-vaccination.

Dr. Samiran Panda, the head of ICMR's communicable diseases division said, "We have already reiterated that vaccines will not prevent infection, only mitigate the severity. Vaccination also prevents death. This in turn will help reduce the burden on the healthcare system."

Dr. Panda also said that state- and district-wise data should be used for third wave-related projections. "Nobody can predict the third wave for the whole country...The wave may rear its head only if states remove restrictions prematurely," he stated.

Manindra Agrawal, scientist, IIT-Kanpur, working on projections for the pandemic, said if no new strain emerges, the COVID-19 situation here might remain the same as it's currently. Even if a new variant is reported, its intensity is likely to be lesser than the second, he added.

To recall, India's deadly second wave of the pandemic had peaked in May at 4,14,000 cases. The country's outbreak has since stagnated, with daily cases hovering around 40,000 for several weeks now. In the past 24 hours, India reported 30,941 fresh cases.