Over the past year-and-a-half, most predictions about the Coronavirus pandemic have been wildly off, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. “Infectious diseases don’t play by rules,” says Dr MP Cariappa, military veteran, public health specialist and former director of medical services to the Government of India. “Because there’s no enemy general planning a strategy; it [spread] is entirely based on human behaviour and the level of immunity among populations.” The second Coronavirus infection wave in India earlier this year, is a case in point. It came with severe consequences in the form of spiralling cases, reduced supplies of essential medical equipment, and increasing deaths particularly in the younger population. However, now, with the vaccination pace having picked up, even with subsequent unlocking of cities and towns, cases are under control and life feels much closer to normal than it did six months ago. 

Which brings us to the question: Are we nearing the COVID-19 pandemic endgame?