137 Million Cases and India's Second Wave

It’s now 137 million coronavirus cases worldwide. 

India with an overall tally of 13.69 million, has usurped the #2 position from Brazil (13.52 million). Needless to say, the United States is still #1, leading the global caseload with nearly 32 million cases. 

In fact, India is grappling with a deadly second wave of Covid-19 infections and the country has recorded a million cases in the last eight days, according to data compiled by Worldometers. 

In spite of the surge in cases, the country is a good place to be in. And that is because the country is a powerhouse when it comes to vaccine manufacture. It runs a massive immunization program, makes 60% of the world's vaccines and is home to half a dozen major manufacturers, including the Serum Institute of India – the largest in the world. 

And yet, its vaccination drive appears to be struggling. Half a dozen states are reporting a shortage of doses even as the federal government insist that there's enough in stock. It would seem that the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing.

Anyway, Indian authorities reportedly halted vaccine exports in order to speed up inoculation at home. Such is the dire situation in India. 

On Monday, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told us again that the Covid-19 pandemic is “a long way from over”. 

And WHO team leader on Covid-19, Maria Van Kerkhove (right) had said the pandemic was growing exponentially, with a nine percent increase in cases last week, the seventh consecutive week of increases, and a five percent rise in deaths. 

Sigh, nothing new that we don't already know!