Coronavirus Wave 2 and Wave 3 Could Be Deadlier Than The Current One; World Must Prepare Soon, Warns WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the second and third wave of COVID-19 may hit the world. Additionally, the organization has said that the countries must be prepared for it until a vaccine is available to tackle the novel coronavirus.

The WHO further says that even though there may be signs of passing peak in several European countries, however, the continent remains very much in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Hans Kluge, the head of the WHO in Europe, said during a WHO Europe briefing that the COVID-19 pandemic is not going to be over soon.

He further emphasized that the best lesson from the devastation caused by COVID-19 is that health deserves to be the top agenda for every political party concerned as everyone has seen that even the best health systems can get overwhelmed and devastated by such pandemics.

Kluge says that once the peak of the first coronavirus wave is gone, the countries must collaboratively work to prepare for a second or third coronavirus wave.

“This will require the collaboration and understanding of everyone, not least with the summer coming, that everyone has to do its share while moving to a new reality where public health has to have a more prominent place in society,” he said during the briefing.

A study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may last for up to two years. Also, it expects the second wave of infection to be deadlier than the first wave, as it returns in the coming fall and winter, similar to how the Spanish flu of 1918 behaved.

The scientists have warned that the entire healthcare community, including scientists and health authorities, in coordination with the states, should plan to prepare for the worst-case scenario if no COVID-19 vaccine or herd immunity is available until then.

The author further suggests that people should be prepared for periodic resurgences of disease and also understand that this pandemic is not going to be over soon. Comparing it to the previous pandemics, the researchers expect COVID-19 to last from anywhere from 18 to 24 months.

The study suggests three possibilities for coronavirus wave two and wave three. The first possibility and the worst-case scenario is that there are repetitive smaller waves of coronavirus infection throughout 2020 and in 2021 before gradually diminishing toward the end of the next year.

The second possibility is that there is another large wave in the fall or winter of 2020, followed by smaller subsequent waves.

The third possibility is that there is a “slow burn” transmission pattern with no clear wave pattern but there are an ongoing transmission and recurrence.