Offline: The second wave

Abstract

The spectre of a second wave of COVID-19 hangs over us. Some infectious disease specialists believe that SARS-CoV-2 might be losing virulence. Most are less sanguine. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's Director-General, reported last week that “the pandemic is accelerating”—across the Americas, south Asia, and the Middle East. “The world is in a new and dangerous phase”, he said. “The virus is still spreading fast, it is still deadly, and most people are still susceptible.” The shadow of the 1918 influenza pandemic darkens our perspective.