Just three weeks after Pakistan had detected the first Omicron case in Karachi, the positivity numbers are well on their way to touch skies. The grim reality is before us again and we have officially entered the fifth wave of the pandemic. The dawning of the third dark year has little to offer in terms of hope against the seemingly neverending onslaught on our crippling healthcare system. Going by case studies from South Africa, the UK and the US, the fast-spreading variant would soon ride through streets in Pakistan on a galloping horse: it spreads nearly three times faster than Delta. And while many have already kicked out their boats over the so-called mildness of symptoms, a strain even half as deadly is still (wait-for-it) very deadly. Data suggesting the superior ability of the virus to infect both the vaccinated as well as previously infected is just as bittersweet of a spoiler. Because while this may mean the menacing dagger of the coronavirus is–albeit crushingly slowly–losing its grip on the handle, the fearful repercussions for those who have barely escaped through a close brush with death are a stark reality. And what about those who deliberately choose to flout basic infection-control guidelines on the backing of their vaccine card? The NCOC’s recent rollout of booster shots to all adults of 30 years and above and an extensive immunisation program targeted at school-going children is a commendable initiative, but more pressing remains the need to pull the drawbridge up again. SOPs, SOP, and a dash more of SOPs are our only defence because the shambolic state of our healthcare sector has been fighting the war without weapons for far too long now. No matter how dedicated the front line personnel may be, there must be a limit to the relentless crusade undertaken by our doctors, nurses and related health professionals against all odds. There is a greater than ever need to raise awareness about the severity of the situation because if not nipped in the bud, this raging Godzilla would not stop at anything. Although Pakistan had miraculously fared well against the deleterious Delta, its economy is, under no conditions, ready for another round of lockdowns. Be vigilant, cry out experts in our neighbourhood as they are trying their best to not let the containment window come any closer to closing. Talk of gloom and doom is always scary but better be a beaver building dams on a stream than an ostrich burying its head in the sand. *