Third wave significantly lower than second wave: Union Health Ministry

In India, the third wave is not that severe due to the vaccine coverage, Dr. Balram Bhargava said.

New Delhi, First Published Jan 20, 2022, 5:42 PM IST | Last Updated Jan 20, 2022, 5:42 PM IST

The Union Health Ministry on Thursday projected the comparison between the second wave and the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India. While presenting the data, the ministry highlighted the difference in the number of fatalities and the vaccination coverage. For the first time, the health ministry referred to the current outbreak as the country's third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, Asia shows a sharp surge in the Covid-19 cases, globally the contribution jumped from 7.9 per cent to approximately 18.4 per cent in four weeks. A sharp surge is also seen in India. The Health Ministry officials added states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Delhi, and Rajasthan are the states of concern as they contribute the maximum number of daily cases.

Also Read: India records 3,17,532 new COVID cases, positivity rate touches 16.41 per cent; Omicron tally stands at 9,287

The ministry added that India has 515 districts recording weekly positivity of more than 5 per cent until January 19. Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that on April 30, 2021, when the second wave peaked in India, it reported 3,86,452 new cases and 3,059 deaths with 31,70,228 active cases. The proportion of fully vaccinated people was 2 per cent by then.

Comparing it with the third wave, the official said, on January 20, 2022, there were 3,17,532 new cases, 380 deaths, and 19,24,051 active cases in the country with 72 per cent fully vaccinated people.

Also Read: India records 2,82,970 new COVID cases, daily positivity rate surges to 15.13%

According to Rajesh Bhushan, 52 per cent of children aged 15 to 18 have been vaccinated in the country to date.

In India, the ongoing third wave is not that severe due to the vaccine coverage, Dr Balram Bhargava, director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, said. We are not witnessing severe illness and deaths due to Covid-19.

Rajesh Bhushan, while speaking about the Covid-19 vaccine said, the CDSCO SEC has suggested to the DCGI that two vaccines be approved for the market. The national regulator has to take a final call yet.

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