Advertisement

Coronavirus Live Updates: Third wave of Covid-19 unlikely to affect children much, predicts WHO-AIIMS survey

Lockdown relaxation in Kolkata
Commuters crowd around a cab looking for a ride, during lockdown relaxation hours in Kolkata, India, Wednesday, June 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

The possible third Covid-19 wave is unlikely to affect children much, a study by the World Health Organisation and AIIMS has revealed, news agency ANI reported.

A single day rise of 67,208 new coronavirus infections were recorded taking India's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 2,97,00,313, while the active cases declined to 8,26,740, the lowest after 71 days. The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,81,903 with 2,330 fresh fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry on Thursday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said rebuilding India will begin once PM Modi acknowledges his mistakes and seeks help from experts as living in denial will not solve anything.

A net decline of 38,692 cases has been recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged the government was busy saving the prime minister's image while COVID-19 took its toll on the people of the country, drawing a sharp retort from Health Minister Harsh Vardhan who accused him of making 'mythical claims' and politicising the issue.

Congress has been alleging that there is a vaccine shortage in the country and that the current rate of vaccination is very slow.

The highly virulent 'Delta plus' variant of the novel coronavirus could stoke the third wave in Maharashtra, according to a presentation made at a meeting attended by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday.

The meeting was held to take stock of preparations to tackle a possible third wave of COVID-19 even as Maharashtra, the state worst hit by the pandemic, emerges out of a devastating second wave of the infection.

The presentation made by the health department at the meet portrayed possible scenarios in case a fresh wave of infection hits Maharashtra.

The health department said there were 19 lakh cases in the first wave (post-March 2020 outbreak), while in the second wave (which started around mid-February 2021) so far, more than 40 lakh infections had been registered in Maharashtra.

RELATED READS: