'Can't be speculated': What health ministry said about Delta and Covid 3rd wave in Lok Sabha

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and minister of state Bharati Pravin Pawar on Friday informed the Lok Sabha on Covid-19 third wave, Delta variant and the possible impact of children etc.

The Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2, which was first found in India in October 2020 and has now become one of the reasons for the present global resurgence of Covid cases, was discussed in Parliament on Friday as minister of state for health Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the Lok Sabha that it can't be speculated whether Delta can drive another wave in India.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said there is no scientific evidence either from India or globally to show that children get disproportionately infected with Covid-19 including the Delta variant.

Delta was one of the major reasons for the second wave of the pandemic which swept the country in April-May, but whether the variant alone can bring another wave can't be speculated, the minister said. The surge in cases is also dependent on available susceptible populations, including a host of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions like vaccination, the minister said in her written reply.

"Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to be more transmissible than other variants of concern. However, it cannot be speculated that this variant by itself can give rise to third wave of COVID-19 in the country since the surge in cases is also dependent on available susceptible population including host of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions including vaccination," the minister said.

'Two reasons may drive third wave'

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said the third wave may occur either because of mutations in the virus or due to the available pool of a susceptible population. "There is however no scientific evidence either from India or globally, to show that children get disproportionately infected with Co-19 including the Delta variant. Children, if infected, generally remain asymptomatic or exhibit mild symptoms and do not get a severe disease," Mandaviya stated, giving details of the preparedness of the Centre to fight a possible third wave.

(With PTI Inputs)