Tragic and deadly act of hubris

THE world has been transfixed this week by the tragedy unfolding in India.

Just over a year ago, the closest to what we are experiencing now was playing out in Italy.

The Italian lesson played a large role in our government imposing one of the harshest Covid-19 lockdowns in the world and, most importantly, letting the science

– and scientists – take the lead in addressing this crisis, rather than political considerations.

Many countries took heed of how we behaved and some gradually began implementing increasingly tougher restrictions, just as we started successfully emerging from ours.

We have had our scares along the way; the second wave was one, and yet – for some reason – we have managed to keep the third wave successfully at bay. In the process, we have become blasé at the prospect of a faceless enemy that does not appear as threatening as we once thought.

We do so at our peril – we need only look to India.

Earlier this year, this great country declared victory against the virus. It proved a tragic act of hubris.

As its citizens dropped their guard, aided and abetted by politicians desperate to win elections, the virus struck back with a vengeance.

Today, the world looks on in horror while the smoke from makeshift crematoria in parking spaces and open plots darkens the sky as at least 20 000 – official statistics which do not include a huge number of deaths that were untested – are laid upon funeral pyres every day.

Hospitals buckle under the strain of a caseload that passed 300 000 daily infections this week – with no sign of abating.

As India’s medical infrastructure buckles under the strain and the oxygen bottles run dry, the harsh truth is they are still at least a week off the peak of this wave.

As we watch and weep, pray that we do not make the very same mistake.

This war isn’t over.