Why another lockdown may not be a solution to rising Covid numbers in India

Experts point out that lockdowns will once again destroy livelihoods and squeeze the economy. Instead, they say, India must double down on genomic sequencing to spot new variants

With the festivals of Holi and the Mahakumbh in Haridwar just round the corner, and five states in the midst of a hectic election season, India's 'second wave' is firmly upon us, data indicate.

"A second wave of Covid-19 in India is very clear from the data now," said Rijo John, a health economist and adjunct professor at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kerala.

This rise comes along with the presence of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and scientists are still trying to figure out how these variants behave. Is another lockdown the answer, or is it somehow getting individuals, communities,