The outbreak of Corona virus in late 2019 and early 2020 shocked the entire world. In the early 2020, most of the countries witnessed nation-wide lock down to curb the spread of Corona virus. 2020 was a year to forget due to this COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 also witnessed a new normal in day-to-day living including work from home. When everything seems to come to normal in 2021, a sudden spike in Corona virus cases has made the situation to worry. This raises an important question i.e Is Corona back? 2021 will also be like 2020?
Since the outbreak of Corona virus, the total no of cases stands at 132,001,2019 and total no of deaths accounts for 2,867,746. USA, Brazil and India continue to be at top three in terms of no of cases. In terms of deaths, USA, Brazil and Mexico tops the list.
Top 5 countries in terms of No of cases and deaths
| Country | Total No of cases | Country | Total no of deaths |
| USA | 31,420,331 | USA | 568,777 |
| Brazil | 12,984,956 | Brazil | 331,530 |
| India | 12,589,067 | Mexico | 204,147 |
| France | 4,822,470 | India | 165,132 |
| Russia | 4,589,540 | UK | 126,836 |
The no of active cases indicates the risk of Corona. Let us look at the no of active cases in selected countries to understand the further risk. The more the no of active cases, more is the chance of increase in deaths.
| S.No | Countries | Active Cases |
| 1 | USA | 6,904,851 |
| 2 | France | 4,426,168 |
| 3 | Brazil | 1,295,905 |
| 4 | Slovakia | 100,006 |
| 5 | Belgium | 819,602 |
| 6 | India | 741,799 |
| 7 | Italy | 569,035 |
| 8 | Poland | 384,150 |
| 9 | Ukraine | 369,162 |
| 10 | UK | 330,910 |
Looking at the no of active cases in selected countries, USA, France and Brazil tops the list with over 1 million active cases. In fact, the no of active cases in USA is inching towards 7 million. However, the no of active cases in India is still below 1 million but may cross 1 million mark in few days if the no cases continue to increase. This is the point to worry.
There was a time when the daily no of cases were approx 10000 in first and second week of February 2021, in India. Since March 2021, there is a sudden spike in no of cases on daily basis, crossing 100,000 mark on 4th April 2021. Yes, India reported record 103,793 cases on 4th April. Apart from spike in no of cases reported daily, there is a sudden rise in no of active cases in India. The no active cases in India crossed 1 million mark in September 2020 and slowed down further to 138,579 on 15th February 2021. Post 15th February 2021, the no active cases started to increase. Let us look at the no active cases in India on selected dates.
| Date | No of Active Cases in India |
| 15th February 2021 | 138,579 |
| 20th february 2021 | 147,214 |
| 25th February 2021 | 157,418 |
| 1st March 2021 | 169,786 |
| 5th March 2021 | 181,997 |
| 15th March 2021 | 225,072 |
| 20th March 2021 | 310,801 |
| 25th March 2021 | 422,596 |
| 31st March 2021 | 585,215 |
| 1st April 2021 | 615,798 |
| 4th April 2021 | 742,830 |
The above data reveals the constant increase in no of active cases in India. When people thought Corona is now over, Corona 2.O came resulting in rapid increase in no of cases and active cases in India. Hence, it is too early to infer that the risk of COVID-19 is over. It still persists. Many people lost their lives, many lost their jobs due to this pandemic. It is still not clear when it will end, and life will be as used to be. Many famous personalities suffered and lost their lives due to this pandemic.
Hence, it is important to take enough precautions and not to indulge in any “adventure” at this moment when there is a sudden surge in no of cases and deaths in India. One should maintain social distancing norms and avoid public gathering or else, the situation can be worst or beyond control.
-Ashish Kumar
