Second wave not yet over, Delta plus may not be dangerous: NTAGI chief
Darpan News Desk IANS, 15 Jul, 2021 10:51 AM
New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) India is still witnessing the second wave which is not yet over as northeastern states and some parts of south India are still battling it, a member of the government's Covid expert panel said on Thursday.
Talking to IANS, Covid-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) Chairman N.K. Arora said: "Second wave is not yet over..."
He also contended that the Delta Plus variant is "not going to be that disturbing or harmful" while the Delta variant infection is still in some parts of the country.
Some experts suggest that there may be possible third wave at the end of August but it may not be as devastating as the second wave was during April to June.
Experts also stress that adherence to Covid protocols is mandatory to curb the infection and vaccination is an important tool to fight the pandemic.
The Indian Council of Medical Research's Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division head Samiran Panda has said that the vaccines available now largely are effective against the new variants, but the efficacy may differ for different strains.
Vaccines are not infection-preventing, but disease-modifying, he added.
Pointing out that most people in Punjab came from Pakistan, Amarinder Singh asked if the Centre expected them to go to Pakistan to look for proof of birth.
A 25-year-old model from Assam who had come to Kanpur to perform at a function, was allegedly raped by former director of a prominent club in the presence of his five aides here, the police said on Tuesday. Four of the accused have been arrested, while the main accused is still on the run.
Ridiculing the Akali chief for his "atrocious lies" that reflected his frustration, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said Sukhbir Badal had clearly lost all sense of proportion in his desperation to get back into the political limelight.
