What is a second wave of COVID-19 infections?

GMA’s resident political analyst Richard Heydarian on Friday explained that there are four ways to understand the concept of a second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections.

In an episode on Stand for Truth, Heydarian said that one concept of a second wave is when an illness spreads from more developed countries to lesser developed countries across the globe.

Another way to understand the second wave is the "reimportation" of the virus on a large scale, though it has been contained.

"This has been particularly the problem for countries like Singapore, like Hong Kong, and South Korea who were very successful in the prevention phase and containment of the virus in the earlier months of this year," Heydarian said.

"Kaso nung binuksan nila 'yung kanilang international travels, mukhang bumabalik na naman ang concerns about inter-community transmission," he added.

The third and more traditional way to understand the concept of the second wave is "seasonality," according to Heydarian.

Heydarian cited the Spanish Influenza which he said was a 1918 until 1919 outbreak as the illness had resurfaced after undergoing "hibernation."

"In fact, a study by two University of Connecticut experts has argued that, pwede, medyo mag-hibernate, mag-lie low 'yung COVID-19 at puwede sila bumalik ulit by next autumn," Heydarian said.

Meanwhile, the fourth way to understand the second wave is the resurgence of intra-community transmission on a large scale if the first wave has already been contained.

"And puwede mo lang masabi na na-contain mo 'yung first wave if nagkaroon ka ng mass testing [...] at meron kang credible numbers about the facts on the ground," Heydarian said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier claimed that the country was already on a second wave of transmission. He later clarified his remarks.

Watch the video to know more. —Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News