India, like the rest of the developing world, can't ease up on Covid now

It's important for the developing world to avoid a second wave: The only tool that worked to control Covid-19's spread may no longer be available

As Europe braces for a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that in parts of the continent looks to be more intensive than the first, it is tempting to assume that the developing world has gotten off lightly. In India, which has the world’s second-highest total of Covid-19 cases, the number of new infections has been trending downwards since September. Other large developing nations flattened their curves even earlier: Brazil peaked in August and South Africa in July.

Back in March, we would have gratefully accepted this outcome: There were very real and logical fears that once the virus began