How did this happen?
According to Jameel, there are three key factors driving the latest surge: complacency, variants and "large spreader events".
Complacency exists at the individual, government and public policy levels, he said, while the development of more infectious variants pose further danger as they could potentially "break through existing immunity".
Variants currently of concern include Kent B117, which has spread rapidly across the UK and dozens of other countries, as well as the B.1.617 variant, which was first detected in India. It is not currently known whether the latter is more or less contagious, or how it will respond to vaccination.