Why is India’s new Covid wave deadlier?

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Heart-breaking stories from across India are grabbing headlines the world over. Amid a deadly new wave of Covid infections, the country’s crumbling healthcare system is battling an acute shortage of medical oxygen and hospital beds. The number of fresh cases and deaths continues to set new daily records. India is now reporting more fresh cases everyday than any country has during the pandemic. What led to the sudden spike when numbers were on a decline in February? And why is the new wave more infectious? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss what has led to a deadlier new wave of Covid infections in India, and how its impact can be mitigated. Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Prof K Srinath Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India; Prof Polly Roy, professor of virology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Dr Ambarish Satwik, vascular surgeon, Ganga Ram Hospital