‘Scaling up surveillance, vaccination key to limiting third wave impact’

CCMB Director says no reason to give up COVID protocols

Stepping-up surveillance, vaccination and following protocols would hold the key to the severity of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, director of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Vinay K. Nandicoori said on Friday. Stating that there was no reason to give a go-by to the basic safety protocols — maintaining social distancing and wearing mask — he said they were increasingly relevant even now when the size of population not vaccinated and without antibodies was coming down, increasing the possibility of infection among the remaining sections. Speaking at a FICCI webinar on ‘COVID-19: Vaccination & The Next Wave’, he said that changes in receptor binding, immune-escape mutations and potential to escape diagnostics would make the third wave possible. He, however, said that the intensity of the third wave could be reduced by not allowing super spreader events — cultural, religious, entertainment, sports/games, social gatherings such as weddings, political events — to prevent and slow down the virus transmission.