Third Wave Inevitable;10 Facts On Centre's Covid Update

A third wave of the COVID is "inevitable", the government's top scientific adviser said, warning that vaccines will need to be "updated" to deal with the new strains that have left thousands dead and overwhelmed hospitals.

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Phase 3 inevitable, given the high levels at which this virus is circulating. But it is not clear at what time scale this Phase 3 will occur," Dr K VijayRaghavan said at a government briefing.

Vaccines will need to be updated to tackle the new strains that are spreading.

Asked if a nationwide lockdown was the only solution to contain the unprecedented rise in cases, NITI Aayog member and chief of the national expert group on vaccines VK Paul said.

Battered by a ferocious 2nd wave of the COVID, India accounted for nearly half the cases reported worldwide last week, the WHO said on Wednesday, as COVID-19 deaths in the nation rose by a record 3,780 during the past 24 hours.

Daily infections rose by 3.82 lakh on Wednesday, health ministry data showed even though testing has slowed in many areas.

Hospitals are scrabbling for beds and oxygen as they desperately battle the deadly surge in infections. Morgues and crematoriums struggle to deal with a seemingly unstoppable flow of bodies.

Medical experts say India's actual figures could be 5 to 10 times the official tallies.

PM Modi's government has been widely criticised for not acting sooner to suppress the 2nd wave, as religious festivals and political rallies drew thousands of people to "super spreader" events.