Health World

Will There Be A Third Wave Of COVID-19 Pandemic?

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, the situation has gotten worse for many countries. The outbreak was first recorded in Wuhan, China. The source of the then epidemic was identified to be the SARS-COV-2 Virus. The whole world has received a nasty blow in health as well as in the economy.

The First and Second Wave

Many countries in Europe had recorded the highest cases and death tolls during the first wave of COVID-19 back in the first quarter of 2020. COVID-19, with its first and second waves, also hit North America and South America. They saw massive infections and deaths in the USA and Brazil.

covid confirmed cases number
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However, the situations in these countries are getting better since the rapid rollout and distribution of vaccines. Vaccines developed from Russia, the USA, China, and the UK are being distributed worldwide. Some countries have relaxed their COVID-19 guidelines amidst vaccinations, including the US. 

But now, countries in Asia are experiencing a massive surge in COVID cases. The second wave of COVID-19 has crippled countries like India, Nepal, Malaysia, and Turkey.

This wave of COVID-19 shows that the Virus is affecting the youth more, as evident in India and Nepal. According to reports in India, the second wave of Corona Virus proved to be more infectious and deadly. The reports suggested that the Virus affecting people in the second wave in India has undergone mutations. These variants of COVID-19 are also more likely to have side effects than the previous strain. 

So the question still stands…

Will there be a third wave?

According to the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group reports on Modelling (Spi-M) from the University of Warwick in the UK, the variant of the SARS-COV-2 Virus is 40% more transmissible than the Alpha variant.

Well, there is a high possibility that the world will experience another wave of COVID. The mutations are more transmissible, resulting in more infections.

globe with mask latex gloves
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

Countries like Brazil are already bracing themselves for the third wave of the pandemic. This country in the Southern Hemisphere has been slow to vaccinate its large population. Experts believe the country was hasty in lifting restrictions while in the second wave.

The possibility of the US to suffer from a new wave, however, stands low. The country has made massive efforts in distributing jabs across the states. Almost 41.55% of Americans have received Coronavirus vaccinations. 

But the possibility of the third wave is approaching for the rest of the world. Hence countries are trying to drive up their vaccinations in efforts to prevent the next wave. These efforts are made to avoid the speculation of the third wave being more transmissible and deadly.

Countries are making an effort to vaccinate as much as they can. Hence, citizens worldwide should take necessary precautions like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing to avoid the third wave.

Also read: Can Herd Immunity End The COVID-19 Pandemic?

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