Covid third wave: UP could be safe, Kerala to face heat due to antibody factor [details]

Amid rising coronavirus cases, Covid antibodies are found in just 45 percent of the population in Kerala which is undoubtedly a matter of concern

The second wave of coronavirus has waned in India, and medical experts in the country are expecting a possible third wave that could hit the nation soon. However, fresh reports from Kerala suggest that the second wave in the state is not yet over. Over the past four days, Kerala is reporting more than 20,000 fresh Covid cases in a day, and this sudden rise in positive cases could shatter the healthcare infrastructure in the state. Amid looming scare, a report from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) suggests that only 45 percent of Keralites have developed Covid antibodies.

UP could be safe, Kerala to face the heat

The Sero survey conducted by ICMR suggested that Kerala is least exposed to coronavirus as only 45 percent of the population in the southern state is projected to have been infected till early July. Assam stands second with 50 percent of its population developing antibodies, followed by Maharashtra with 58 percent.

Covid third wave — Representational ImageYouTube/Pixabay

The survey, which covered 70 districts across 21 states found that 67.6 percent of the samples had antibodies against Covid infection. 79 percent of the population in Madhya Pradesh was exposed to the virus, followed by Rajasthan (76.2 percent), Bihar (75.9 percent), and Uttar Pradesh (71 percent).

Will the third wave of the pandemic turn deadly in India?

Several medical experts including AIIMS chief Dr. Randeep Guleria had predicted that the third wave in India is inevitable.

Recently, a group of officials empowered with formulating the nation's pandemic emergency strategy has informed the government that the third wave of Covid in the country will see a drastic rise in daily cases. According to these experts, India could witness a maximum of 4 to 5 lakh daily cases during the peak of the third wave, and if it happens, the country's healthcare infrastructure could be crunched. The group hence has set a warning level of 50,000 new Covid-19 cases a day with the recommendation that the count does not go any further.

Dr. Samiran Panda, the head of epidemiology and infectious diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research had recently predicted that the third wave could hit the country by the end of August. However, he assured that the third wave could not be as deadly as the second wave of coronavirus.