Interview | A third COVID-19 wave can make its appearance felt as early as late August, says Dr. Samiran Panda

Dr. Samiran Panda, Head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, ICMR, says the third wave is a distinct possibility although not inevitable as it is dependent on the scale and quality of appropriate public health measures.

, Head, Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI), speaks exclusively to and explains about the possibility of a third COVID-19 wave and how future waves can be prevented. There have been increasing speculations on the possibility of a third wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection in India. If one responds in affirmative — which I think is a distinct possibility although not inevitable as it is dependent on the scale and quality of appropriate public health measures — the volley of questions that follow are when, how big and how long will it stay? The modelling study we conducted from the Indian Council of Medical Research in collaboration with the Imperial College, London, yielded multiple outcome scenarios in this regard ranging from an onset of a third wave in late August, 2021, to October this year.