Covid-19 | Caution remains the best weapon against possible third wave, say doctors in Kolkata

Masks and micro-containment essential; preparation should be on war footing, they say.

Doctors in Kolkata are of the opinion that its present situation — quieter ICUs, with admissions and fatalities dropping — was like the lull before a storm, and if citizens weren’t careful, a third wave of COVID-19 would hit the city sooner than later. “A third wave is hanging on our necks like the Sword of Damocles. We know it is imminent, but we don’t know when it will hit us. RNA viruses are known to undergo antigenic variations, which is why even fully vaccinated individuals may become vulnerable. We simply cannot afford to become complacent,” internal medicine specialist Dr. Rahul Jain, who has attended to over 3,000 COVID-19 patients so far, told The Hindu. “The humble mask is still the most vital equipment in the fight against the dreaded coronavirus, whether the ‘plain vanilla’ variety or the mutants. It is also incumbent upon the authorities to go for micro-containment and geotag all cases. If, for example, cases rise in a particular area like, say, Jadavpur, then only that area should be cordoned off rather than restrictions being imposed on the entire city,” Dr. Jain said.