LUCKNOW: Though the third wave of Covid-19 has been less dangerous than the first two and is now almost over, experts still advise to wait and watch before ditching safety protocols.
An analysis by TOI shows that the third wave was 17 times and the second wave 23 times less lethal than the first wave. However, experts said that the possibility of a new and more severe variant cannot be ruled out in the future. Hence, people should not return to pre-Covid era behaviour and continue to take precautions.
"Complacency after the first was one of the main factors responsible for the devastating second wave. In comparison, the precautions taken and rapid vaccinations done after the second wave resulted in a much less severe third wave. We need to take lessons from the past and continue to strictly adhere to Covid safety protocols till the danger is over.-Times View"
The first wave had affected around 81,000 people in Lucknow between March 2020 and January 2021 and taken the lives of 1,157 patients.
The second wave triggered by the Delta and Delta Plus variants that lasted around 90 days played havoc by infecting 1.5 lakh people and killing 1,465.
The third wave caused by the Omicron variant turned out to be less dangerous. It started on December 22, 2021 and has so far infected 57,439 people and taken the lives of 38 patients.
Unlike the highly severe Delta variant that attacked the lungs, the Omicron variant largely affected the upper respiratory area. As a result, most of the patients either had mild symptoms or remained asymptomatic.
However, experts said that people should not drop guard and wait at least for three to four months to observe whether any new, probably lethal, variant of novel coronavirus is emerging.
Former head of the microbiology department at Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Prof Anil Kumar Gulati said, “The virus will keep mutating as long as it circulates. The possibility of the emergence of a lethal Covid-19 variant is highly unlikely, but we should wait till May before relaxing.”
“Since almost everyone has taken vaccine doses, the new variant, if it emerges, will not be as virulent (deadly) as Delta. But we can’t be complacent, as we were after the first wave,” said medical superintendent of Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences Prof Vikram Singh. Epidemiologist Dr Amit Singh, also secretary of Provincial Medical Services Association, said, “Covid-19 will become milder with time but these three months are crucial. ”
