On May 7 the second wave of the coronavirus peaked in India, at a count of 389,672 cases on the day — most likely an undercount — driven by a frightening new variant of the virus, now dubbed “Delta”. The vast suffering in India, accompanied by the despair and colour only India can supply, is unforgettable. The world watched in horror as people died searching their cities for oxygen.

Between the start of the second wave on February 11 and the May 7 peak in new cases, nearly 90,000 Indians perished. On that May 7 SA recorded 1,630 new cases. On May 15 new cases were 341,142 in India and 2,645 in SA. On June 1 new cases were 164,291 in India and 4,483 in SA...

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