April 16, 2021
With a massive second wave of Covid-19 sweeping through India, one in five infections in the world is currently being reported from the country.
How is India’s second wave different from the first?
To start with, the second wave is spreading much, much faster than the first, as visible in this graphic.
Our world in data
India’s second Covid-19 wave is stronger than the first.
Many experts believe the surge is partly fuelled by new strains of the coronavirus, including a more infectious homegrown variant found in 61% of samples genome sequenced in Maharashtra, the worst hit state. The laxity in preventive measures, coupled with the presence of new variants, has resulted in a nationwide crisis. Many states are reporting shortages of hospital beds, oxygen supply, medicines, even space in morgues and crematoriums.