Asia in particular was optimistic. COVID-19 infection rates were dropping, vaccines were on the horizon, and a semblance of normal life was taking shape. Many hailed the region as a model for pandemic management. The achievement took political will and collective discipline, despite many Asian nations having far fewer resources than the West.
All that now seems like a distant memory. We are now halfway through the year, and the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of abating. If anything, it has gotten stronger and more virulent. The new normal looks here to stay, and recovery is expected in 2022 at the earliest.
CONTRASTING FORTUNES
In January, the United States was reeling from the dual shock of COVID-19 and the results of a hotly contested presidential election. Like many other Western countries, the US bore the brunt of infections and fatalities from the coronavirus in 2020.
Now, after an aggressive inoculation campaign, the US is recording an average of 10,000 cases per week – a drop in the bucket relative to its population. Crucially, the fatality rate is dropping thanks to the protection afforded by the vaccine. Many states are reopening and doing away with mask mandates. Europe is on a similar track, with many countries welcoming tourists back for the busy summer season.
By contract, as 2020 drew to a close, India had reason to be optimistic about the pandemic. Infection rates were dropping, from 97,000 new cases per day in September to fewer than 15,000 in February. Experts and leaders openly proclaimed India had achieved herd immunity.
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