Since the beginning of the pandemic scientists, doctors, and everyone in between has wondered how long robust immunity persists following recovery from a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
While a large number of people now have immunity against coronavirus due to previous infections or vaccination, a guarded approach is needed in terms of implementingCovid-19Covid-19 Wave Wave restrictive measures to avoid a second wave-like crisis, experts said.
Dr. Yudhyavir Singh, who has been managing the COVID-19 ICU at AIIMS New Delhi, said it is important to lift a few restrictions to resume economic activities when cases are low.
“However, one should not lower their guard Adopt a guarded approach in terms of following COVID-19-appropriate behavior and implementing restrictive measures,” he said.
Health officials have pointed to the highly contagious Delta variant as the cause of recent surges the U.S. has experienced.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an Infectious Disease Specialist with the University of Kansas Medical Center, said low vaccination rates in countries that have seen a climbing number of cases, like India, could attribute to the potential for a third wave to come.
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While it’s too soon to tell if another wave of cases onset by the Delta variant could occur in the U.S., Dr. Hawkinson told the Kansas Capitol Bureau Wednesday that what is clear is that, for now, coronavirus is here to stay.
“We are going to have to live at least in the foreseeable future with COVID-19 in some form or another. Will that be better or worse? I think that really comes down to our behavior as well as the variants,” Hawkinson said.
Dr. Pooja Khosla, senior consultant (Department of Medicine), Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in India, said the second wave of the coronavirus has taught us that cases can increase suddenly.
“There are warning signs from different parts of the world. In India too, a small increase in cases has been recorded. Infections can increase exponentially at any time. I think one should not assume anything and make all efforts to prevent a second wave-like crisis, which was a nightmare,” she said.
On the other hand, Hawkinson said the U.S. is unique in the fact that coronavirus vaccines are in abundant supply, and vaccination is key to determining how severe the next surge is.
According to the CDC, 51.6% of Kansas’ total population is fully vaccinated so far.
Without the necessary precautions to stay safe, Dr. Hawkinson said the next wave could look a lot like the last surge, which pushed hospital workers to their limits with an influx of patients.
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“Right now, is really the time to act to try and get those populations that are eligible for vaccination, who haven’t gotten vaccinated, to get vaccinated, because that is going to be our best defense against other waves or other surges in the virus,” he said.
Newly released state data shows that, as of Wednesday, 5,329 Delta variant cases have been identified in Kansas.
