India Battles A Catastrophic Wave Of Covid-19 Infections
YOU South Africa|13 May 2021
As India battles a catastrophic wave of Covid-19 infections, countries across the world are stepping in to help
Kim Abrahams
India Battles A Catastrophic Wave Of Covid-19 Infections

PEOPLE begging in the street for oxygen, collapsing and dying on hospital doorsteps because there simply are no beds available. Parking lots being turned into makeshift hospitals to cope with the influx of patients and bodies being burnt in pyres outside crematoriums because facilities are too full of the dead.

The situation in India can be likened to hell on Earth and the world is looking on in horror. The country broke global records by recording daily increases of more than 400 000 Covid-19 infections. Daily deaths are exceeding 3 600 but the official toll is believed to be far higher.

Mutations and variants are adding to the agony, ripping through communities and leaving hundreds of thousands of people gasping for breath.

“The sick can’t get into hospitals, the dead can’t get into crematoria,” says Aatish Taseer, an Indian journalist and novelist. “The atmosphere in my hometown of New Delhi is bordering on apocalyptic.”

Nurses and doctors are working back-to-back shifts. Some have relatives in the same hospital but the pressure is so intense they don’t have time to visit them.

India is now the second-most affected country in the world after the US in terms of active cases, tracking upwards of three million.

“The situation is critical,” says a doctor at New Delhi’s Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital. “The next two weeks are going to be hell.”

Trauma and anguish reign in the vast country of more than 1,3 billion people. There’s fear lurking in every corner and hospital halls are horror shows.

This story is from the 13 May 2021 edition of YOU South Africa.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the 13 May 2021 edition of YOU South Africa.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM YOU SOUTH AFRICAView All
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
YOU South Africa

PUSHED TO THE LIMIT

The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
YOU South Africa

HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY

Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache

time-read
10+ mins  |
5 September 2024
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
YOU South Africa

THE GROWN-UP BRAIN

If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!

time-read
3 mins  |
5 September 2024
THE eyes HAVE IT
YOU South Africa

THE eyes HAVE IT

They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area

time-read
1 min  |
5 September 2024
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
YOU South Africa

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry

time-read
4 mins  |
5 September 2024
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
YOU South Africa

I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!

Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
YOU South Africa

'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'

When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
YOU South Africa

SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!

A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
YOU South Africa

READY TO SMILE AGAIN

A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth

time-read
5 mins  |
5 September 2024
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
YOU South Africa

HARRY AT A CROSSROADS

As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life

time-read
8 mins  |
5 September 2024