Fourth wave of Covid likely next month, may be milder: Goa Medical College dean

Panaji

: The fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to hit Goa in mid-June, and in all probability it will be milder, said GMC dean Dr S M Bandekar, who is also head of the expert committee on Covid management.

“The next wave which is likely to hit Goa by mid-June will be mild, as the mutated viruses in circulation are not very strong. We may see the prevailing Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 in the next wave,” said Bandekar.

Considering the possibility of the fourth wave, Bandekar said that the expert committee felt that people should not throw caution to the wind, and should continue to take measures while in public spaces.

“It is mostly the unvaccinated and elderly who suffer, and hence we need to be careful,” he said.

Over the past few days, the state has witnessed occasional minor flare-ups in cases, but the positivity rate has remained below 1%. The present rate of daily infections is not indicative enough whether the state is heading towards a fourth wave. The third wave which hit earlier this year had built up quickly compared to the earlier two waves, even as fatalities and hospitalisations were fewer.

The third wave, that made its beginning around December 28, lasted till February-end.

During the entire month of April, the state’s daily count of infections was less than ten, barring two days when it reported 12 cases each.

Whether the fourth wave happens or not, it is unclear whether the state’s genomic sequencing machines will be operational to check the variants in circulation. Besides GMC, the directorate of health services has bought a machine for genomic sequencing, however, it is yet to be made operational though staff has been trained.

Bandekar said that GMC’s facility will be made functional in the next two weeks.