381 Ira Pande Given the frightening situation regarding the surging pandemic, it is difficult to think or write of anything else. News comes daily about close family and friends who have been infected and their nightmarish experiences in locating a hospital bed, or even a clinic to get their Covid tests done. Worse, the mutant strains in this round sometimes evade the RT-PCR test, and only a CT scan at a later, more dangerous stage, when it has entered and harmed the lungs, is able to locate it. Others have complained of typhoid-like symptoms: all in all, the safest bet is to stay resolutely indoors and avoid all contact with other people. One wonders how effective the weekend lockdowns will be when the bhakts from the Kumbh and those from election rallies return to their villages. And the less said about our netas and their irresponsible behaviour, the better.