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When will third wave of COVID-19 hit India? IIT Madras predicts amid rising cases
India's R-naught value which indicates the spread of COVID-19 was recorded at 4 this week, suggesting a very high infection transmission rate.
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New Delhi: India's R-naught value which indicates the spread of COVID-19 was recorded at 4 this week, suggesting a very high infection transmission rate, according to a preliminary analysis by IIT Madras predicting the peak of the third wave between February 1-15.
R-naught or R0 indicates the number of people an infected person can spread the disease to. A pandemic is considered to end if this value goes below 1.
Based on preliminary analysis by computational modeling done by IIT Madras, which was shared with PTI, the R0 value was close to 2.9 nationally in the past week (December 25 to December 31). The number was recorded at 4 this week (January 1-6).
Explaining further, Dr Jayant Jha, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, IIT Madras, said R0 depends on three things -- Transmissibility probability, contact rate and the expected time interval in which infection can happen.
"Now, with the increase in quarantine measures or restrictions, maybe the contact rate will go down and then, in that case, R0 can decrease. So, based on our preliminary analysis, which is just based on the last two weeks, we can tell these numbers, but again, these numbers can change based on how much affirmative action is taken with respect to social gathering and all," he told PTI.
India saw a single-day rise of 1,41,986 new coronavirus cases, the highest in around 222 days. The active coronavirus cases have now increased to 4,72,169, the highest in around 187 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data on Saturday morning. An increase of 1,00,806 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The death toll has also climbed to 4,83,463 with 285 fresh fatalities. While 1,41,614 deaths have been reported from Maharashtra, 49,305 are from Kerala, 38,362 from Karnataka, 36,833 from Tamil Nadu, 25,136 from Delhi, 22,918 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,864 are from West Bengal.
The country has so far recorded 3,071 cases of the Omicron variant across 27 states and union territories. Of these, 1,203 have recovered or migrated, according to the data updated by the ministry at 8 am on Saturday.
Maharashtra has recorded the maximum number of 876 Omicron cases, followed by Delhi at 513, Karnataka 333, Rajasthan 291, Kerala 284 and Gujarat 204.
