From India and Japan to Europe and the US, coronavirus cases are surging around the world with a striking increase in the number of people newly infected with the coronavirus. The alarming spike in Covid-19 cases has pitted the new wave of infections against the global roll-out of vaccines — a race against time with consequences for billions of people around the world.
India, for instance, recorded 53,476 new cases on the anniversary of its lockdown on Wednesday, the highest figure since October. Deaths from the virus are also on the rise in India, with 250 reported on Wednesday.
Experts say the speed of India’s new wave of infections probably reflects a drop in guard among the public against the virus, waning immunity among those previously infected, and the influence of new variants.
Rather than being a matter of personal preference, the vaccine is now a social responsibility towards the community — unless we all embrace that responsibility together, the fight against the coronavirus will remain unfinished
Across the European Union, the spread of more contagious variants of the coronavirus has pushed hospitals to their limit and led several EU members to impose strict lockdowns over the Easter period. The surge in EU comes at a time when the bloc is facing a shortage of vaccines and less than 5 per cent of its 450 million residents have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Whether it’s the third wave in some countries or the second, the taxonomy doesn’t really matter at this point.
After one year of mostly working from home, not seeing friends and avoiding crowds, travelling and social gatherings, it is clear that we are not out of the woods yet. We need to be patient and redouble our determination to fight Covid-19.
The virus continues to mutate and find potent new targets to strike, and a year of coronavirus fatigue has also contributed in aiding and abetting its spread.
One of the most effective ways in which we can pull this back is by taking the vaccine. This is essential since countries that have reopened their economies with stringent safety protocols in place — such as the UAE — have seen a rapid expansion of social and economic activities that have helped sustain the economy and livelihoods.
It is therefore vital to be able to contain infections by taking the vaccine, along with simple but basic precautions such as social distancing, wearing masks and following all rules and protocols in place to guard against the virus.
Rather than being a matter of personal preference, the vaccine is now a social responsibility towards the community — unless we all embrace that responsibility together, the fight against the coronavirus will remain unfinished.
