A year after: A nation altered by the viral second wave
India has the highest seven-day Covid-19 case trajectory seen in any country and the grim distinction of most single-day infections in any country ever since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. With a dearth of key drugs, beds and the return of restrictions across major cities, the nation is coping with its own contradictions.
Curated By: Madhu Kapparath
About sixty six kilometers from Haridwar—where the ongoing Kumbh Mela gathering of lakhs has been curtailed after many tested positive for the virus—is the agricultural heartland of Shahidwala Grunt. Zakir Ali is cycling the afternoon away along fields of wheat, ripe for harvest. In the sparsely populated village which has not had a single case of Covid-19 yet, Zakir’s school reopened after a week of holidays.
