The third wave of COVID-19 will likely strike the country at the end of August and it seems possible that it will not be as intense as the second wave, said Dr Samiran Panda, Chief of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases at ICMR.

In an interview with NDTV, he said that there would be a third wave in India but it does not mean that it would be as intense as the second one. He enumerated four things that could result in the third wave. The first is a situation in which the immunity acquired in the first and second waves declines. In such a scenario, there could be a third wave. Second, there could be a variant that can evade the immunity that has been acquired. Thirdly, the new variant may not be able to evade the immunity but may be able to circulate faster in the population. And lastly, if the COVID restrictions are lifted too soon by states, it could result in a fresh spike… (NDTV, July 16, 2021)