Is India staring at a sharp rise in Omicron wave in next few weeks? Here is what the experts say on the Covid-19 third wave!

Even as India reported 306,064 new infections over the last 24 hours, with almost an 8 per cent decline from the average daily cases reported over the last four days, chances of the third wave intesifying over the next 8-10 weeks loom.

This is according to a report published by Reuters.

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The hospitals have been witnessing a higher patient turnout despite a decilne in the number of case in major cities, this report suggested.

The cases may seen an uptick led by the lastest South African variant Omicron.

India`s COVID-19 infections, led by the Omicron variant, may see a sharp rise in the coming weeks, this report said quoting experts. It said that this was on the back of community transmission now beeing seen.

"Omicron is now in community transmission in India and has become dominant in multiple metros," a report by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) said on January 10 in a report released on Sunday.

However, most cases of the Omicron variant have been mild, the advisory group said, although hospitalisations and cases in intensive care were increasing, this report said.

India reported  Deaths were 439, the lowest in five days.

The weekly positivity rates have risen to 17.03 per cent in the week to January 24, from about 0.63 per cent December 27, led by the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.

In last two weeks major cities such as the capital, Delhi, and financial hub Mumbai in the wealthiest state of Maharashtra, have been reporting big falls in cases after hitting peaks.

That might change, Maharashtra government adviser Dr. Subhash Salunke said, as the variant is spreading to semi-urban and rural areas. The state expects to see multiple peaks in the next eight to 10 weeks, he said.

"The number of cases in cities like Mumbai and Pune are the tip of the iceberg," Salunke told Reuters, adding that the deadly Delta variant from the previous wave was also circulating.

India's Active Caseload currently stands at 22,49,335 with Active cases stand at 5.69 per cent. India’s recovery rate currently stands at 93.07 per cent

India`s tally of overall infections has reached to 39.54 million.

Meanwhile, India’s Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination coverage exceeds 162.26 cr. More than 27 lakh Vaccine Doses have been administered in the last 24 hours.