India is yet to recover from the severe second wave of COVID-19. We're still facing shortages of oxygen and vaccine, amid growing concern over black fungus cases. But there's already an alarm for an impending third wave of the virus.

COVID has been with us for over a year now and almost every state in India has witnessed its own wave — while Maharashtra is experiencing its third wave this year and Delhi is in its fourth.

But as the virus continues to mutate, many experts have opined that a third wave will arrive soon. However, its timeline and strength are still speculative.

Even the Centre’s Principal Scientific Advisor Dr K Vijay Raghavan stated on 5 May that a third wave is inevitable but later modified his remarks, saying that it can be avoided if India takes strong measures.

Which prompts the question — how can we prepare to tackle the next wave of the virus? What lessons have we learnt from the second wave and what steps can the Centre take to weaken the impact of the next surge?

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram

Guest: Dr Rakesh Mishra, the Former Director of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and an Advisor to CEBM, and Dr Giridhar R Babu a Professor of Life-course Epidemiology at the Public Health Foundation of India.

Editor: Shelly Walia

References: Lack of Tests & Ventilators: How Rural India Is Facing COVID Surge

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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