Another Wave Likely in 6-8 Months If New COVID Variant Arrives, Warns Expert

New Delhi: There is a lull in the COVID-19 pandemic but there is more to come. It is too early for India to breathe easy. A COVID task force official has said the next wave is likely to strike the country in another 6 to 8 months in case a new coronavirus variant arrives. Co-Chairman National IMA COVID Task Force Dr Rajeev Jayadevan also said that even though the Omicron BA.2 is more transmissible than the previously identified BA.1 sub-variant, it will not cause another surge.

“Virus is going to be around. It will come in ups and downs for a very long time. When the next variant comes, there will be a surge. We do not know when that will be, but history says that it can happen once inevitably six to eight months and that is typically how it acts,” Jayadevan told news agency ANI.

“But until then, we are now in the low phase Omicron. However, what we should remember is this virus is around which means that we must do everything we can to stop it from infecting us,” he added.