According to a recent research document of the State Bank of India, the impact of any possible third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic could be significantly lowered if rigorous vaccination and better health infrastructure is provided to the people.
SBI, which is India's largest private sectored Bank, said in its five-page-long report that the average duration of the third wave of the pandemic in the worst-hit countries is 98 days. This is a data determined against 108 days during the second wave.
The report also suggested that the intensity of the third wave has been as severe as the second wave, by citing international experiences.
The document further reads, "However it is also observed that in third wave, if we are better prepared, the decline in serious case rate will lead to less number of deaths."
Around 162,000 people in India had lost their lives to Covid-19 till the end of March, as per the official data. The death toll has more than doubled, taking the total number of Covid-related fatalities to over 330,000 within last two months.
Even though the daily new COVID-19 positive cases have been on a decline for the past few weeks, experts have warned about a possible third wave to hit the country. Moreover, only around 3.2 per cent of the Indian population has been fully vaccinated so far.
Better health infrastructure and rigorous vaccination could lead to a decrease in rate of serious Covid cases from 20 per cent to five per cent during the third wave, subsequently reducing coronavirus-related deaths to 40,000 "as compared to current deaths of more than 1.7 lakh.", according to the SBI report.
The report further stated, "So vaccination should be the key priority, especially for the children who could be the next vulnerable group. With around 15-17 crore children in the 12-18 age bracket, India should go for an advanced procurement strategy like that adopted by developed nations to inoculate this age-group."
