DTMT Network

India is now at the beginning of the third wave of COVID-19 and the majority of the children have developed antibodies which mean that they would not be hit hard with the deadly contagious virus, Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh Dr. Jagat Ram said on September 14, 2021.

“We are at the beginning of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic. A serosurvey conducted by PGIMER, Chandigarh among 2700 children shows 71 per cent of them have developed antibodies. It shows children won't be affected disproportionately during the third wave,” Dr. Ram said.

Dr. Ram further pointed out that the serosurvey conducted in Maharashtra and Delhi reflects that around 50% - 75% of children have developed antibodies so the third wave of COVID-19 will affect children disproportionately.

“About 69 per cent to 73 per cent of children have developed antibodies. On average 71 per cent of samples have developed antibodies. We know that there are no vaccines available for children so the antibodies have developed due to COVID-19 infection. So I don't think the third wave will affect children," the PGIMER director said. “The samples were taken from Chandigarh, slums, and urban areas. As the children are not vaccinated this means that antibodies have developed in children due to COVID 19,” Dr. Ram said.

He added that the peak of the third wave of coronavirus may be delayed and appealed to people to follow protocols and wear masks and maintain social distancing at public places.

He further urged the public to get themselves vaccinated against the highly contagious virus.