Covid cases may rise to some extent in the coming months but there are fewer chances of the third wave of coronavirus, said AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria in an exclusive conversation with India TV Editor-In-Chief and Chairman Rajat Sharma during Aaj Ki Baat.
Speaking in Aaj Ki Baat, Randeep Guleria said that we may see a rise in Covid cases to some extent but not with serious illness and less hospitalisation.
AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said people are getting vaccinated which protects them from serious illness from Covid. So people may fall to Covid with mild symptoms but not with serious illness.
Also, a lot will depend on how strictly people will follow the Covid appropriate behaviour.
Responding to whether children will be more affected in the third wave, Randeep Guleria said since they are not vaccinated that's why many believe they will catch the infection. But global data show us that wherever children have fallen to Covid virus, it has been with mild symptoms and not serious infections.
Moreover, in one of the recent sero survey conducted in the country, 55-60 per cent of the children were already found having antibodies which means they already had the infection in its mild form.
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On reopening of schools, Randeep Guleria believes that in regions where the positivity rate is low and people are following Covid behaviour, schools can resume offline classes but under strict monitoring and surveillance. And if cases start coming again then they should be closed. Opening schools at this time when cases are low gives us the opportunity to study 'risk-benefit analysis'.
Randeep Guleria further speaking on schools reopening said that if we continue to keep waiting for the vaccine for children then it will take us to next year to reopen them and what if a new variant comes... what will we do then.
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He said physical schools are important because it provides children to engage socially, physically which is crucial for a child's upbringing.
Speaking on the mysterious viral in Uttar Pradesh which is infecting children, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said it has no relation with coronavirus and is more like a seasonal viral during monsoon, which should be studied differently and not associated with Covid.
