Over a year later, the world continues to struggle with the threat of COVID-19 since it was declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. A highly infectious “double mutant” variant has hit several countries, mainly in South Asia, causing widespread death and infection surges. India now stands with the world’s second highest number of cases following the USA.

Hospitals in the capital city of New Delhi and other hard-hit areas have been filled to capacity, while running low on oxygen, beds, and other provisions. India has accounted for nearly triple the cases of the USA. On April 23, 2021, the overall cases in India were at 16.60 million, the world's second highest after the USA. This mounting crisis of new variants of corona in India threatens to prolong the pandemic.