Can’t rule out possibility of more mini Covid waves, says WHO chief scientist

WHO chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan felt that due to home-based self testing, numbers could also be underestimated.

Soumya Swaminathan said it needs to be ensured that those in the vulnerable age group of 60 years and above take their booster vaccine shots. (File)

The BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants are making their presence felt across various areas in the country with the daily Covid tally now showing a rise in the country. When contacted, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, told The Indian Express that it could be the start of a mini wave.

“The sub-variants that are emerging are more transmissible than the original Omicron BA.1 and there is a likelihood of waning immunity. It is a possibility that there could be mini waves every four-six months or so and hence, apart from all Covid-appropriate precautionary measures that need to be taken, it is important to also track the variant,” Dr Swaminathan said.

The WHO chief scientist also felt that due to home-based self testing, numbers could also be underestimated. “We need to keep a watch on hospital-based admissions and ensure that the vulnerable group who are 60 years and above get their booster doses,” Dr Swaminathan said.

Referring to the recent fifth Covid wave in South Africa that was led by Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, Dr Swaminathan said it was a smaller one. According to a WHO report (June 2), new cases had decreased after four consecutive weeks of increase across Africa, signalling the possibility that the latest surge had reached its peak.

According to Dr Gagandeep Kang, a noted virologist and professor at Christian Medical College, Vellore, “this is really whether one is considering a wave as cases or as illness that results in hospitalisation. In either case, what is clear is that what we are seeing now is most likely to be sub-variants of Omicron. They are capable of infecting people who have been previously infected but not necessarily causing the disease(in those who have recently been infected or vaccinated). Those at high risk of severe disease are the unvaccinated, aged people who have been vaccinated a long time ago or people who have comorbidities and the vaccines have not worked in them. In general, if you are healthy and vaccinated you may get infected but there is no need to panic or worry. We are likely to see more such waves and this is going to be the new pattern of the disease that we will see. Every time there is a variant or sub-variant, there will be an increase in cases.”

Dr Sanjay Pujari, technical expert with ICMR’s Covid-19 task force, said that to say it is a wave pan-India is difficult as there are regional spikes across various hotspots. “However , these spikes need to be observed. For instance the United States had a spike in cases in the last four to six weeks and now have reported to show a decline in the last two days,” Dr Pujari said. To term it a wave would also essentially mean the number of infections impacting the healthcare systems, and not just the numbers but also the cases with severe illness, he said.

Globally, the number of reported Covid-19 cases and deaths are declining. According to a WHO report, during the week of May 30 to June 5, over three million cases were reported globally, a 12 per cent decrease as compared to the previous week. The number of new weekly deaths also continued to decline with over 7,600 fatalities reported, showing a 22 per cent decrease as compared to the previous week.

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However while it is an encouraging trend, the WHO has urged caution. At a virtual media briefing on June 8, Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in his opening remarks, said that almost 18 months since the first vaccine was administered, 68 countries have still not achieved 40 per cent coverage.

“More than 7,000 people lost their lives to the virus last week — that’s 7,000 too many. A new and even more dangerous variant could emerge at any time and vast numbers of people remain unprotected. The pandemic is not over and we will keep saying it’s not over until it is,” said Dr Tedros.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. ``Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) "Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. ``At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure "For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. ``Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. X (Twitter): @runaanu ... Read More

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