WHO chief scientist cautions against full lockdown: ‘consequences are terrible’

“We have to manage the second wave before thinking of a third wave and till enough people are vaccinated, there definitely can be more waves in the pandemic,” said Dr Soumya Swaminathan.

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Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist of the World Health Organisation. (File)

Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist of the World Health Organisation, has cautioned against a full lockdown. “The consequences are terrible,” Dr Swaminathan told The Indian Express even as she appealed to citizens to manage the second wave of the pandemic.

“We have to manage the second wave before thinking of a third wave and till enough people are vaccinated, there definitely can be more waves in the pandemic,” said Dr Swaminathan.

With the WHO advising a gap of 8-12 weeks between two doses of the Covishield vaccine, there is more scope for a larger number of beneficiaries to get inoculated. “Vaccination is not recommended yet for children but yes, the gap between two doses can be stretched to eight to 12 weeks,” said Dr Swaminathan.

April 7 is World Health Day and on the occasion, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of WHO, said that as a new wave of infection is spreading across the region, efforts must be made to accelerate vaccine rollouts.

Also Read | Next 4 weeks critical… Covid-19 vaccine first to those who need it, not want it: Centre

India is administering 26 lakh doses daily on an average, second only to USA, which is administering more than 30 lakh doses on an average per day.

Also Read | New research: 1 in 3 Covid-19 survivors face neuro or mental health issues in 6 months

Meanwhile, experts in Pune have also strongly objected to a lockdown. “Last year, even during the lockdown, Pune had many hotspots. As soon as the lockdown was lifted, albeit partially, the numbers started going up. Then there was a 10-day lockdown which did not help. Numbers went up even further. With community transmission rampant, during lockdown, the virus would still be spreading within smaller groups in a locality and as soon as the lockdown is lifted, it will spread even more rapidly as people tend to relax more after the stress of the lockdown,” Prof L S Shashidhara, a professor at IISER, Pune and Ashoka University, told The Indian Express.

Pune doctors hopeful of more beds for treating Covid patients

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While a team of public health experts and clinicians will visit 30 districts in Maharashtra and assist health authorities on various aspects like strengthening hospital infrastructure, assessing testing and contact tracing measures and others, doctors in Pune are hopeful that by next week, more hospitals will join the effort to treat Covid-19 patients.

Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, medical director of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, told The Indian Express that Covid-19 variants have led to larger infectivity among the number of people and hence there is more panic. “Needless to say, the government has to take some steps to restrict Covid-19 spread as the pressure is on private hospitals. The good things now is that many small hospitals are becoming Covid centres. Last year, there was a huge scare and several facilities had displayed boards stating they were not Covid hospitals… but this time, more than 25 small hospitals have come forward and we can expect more beds opening up in Pune for treating Covid-19 patients. Currently, there are 4,000 beds in Pune city and all hospitals have been increasing the bed strength daily,” said Dr Kelkar.

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. ... Read More

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