Kolkata: The scene in front of a hospital for COVID-19 patients. Credit: Debarchan Chatterjee/NurPhoto/Getty Images This article or excerpt is included in the GLP’s daily curated selection of ideologically diverse news, opinion and analysis of biotechnology innovation. [India now] accounts for almost half of new [COVID] cases worldwide. Experts say a combination of factors gave rise to the explosion in cases: new variants of the virus, including one first detected in India, that are thought to be more transmissible; a weak government response; and large public gatherings. Images from across the country show the tremendous toll. Follow the latest news and policy debates on agricultural biotech and biomedicine? Subscribe to our newsletter.