With as many as 113 people testing positive across Pakistan on Monday (as per the official COVID database) and the fearful spike surpassing 10 per cent in Karachi and Hyderabad, it would be rather foolish to assume we are still out of danger. The dark tunnel is upon us again, in the form of the sixth wave. While over 56 per cent of the population has been double-jabbed and the government has considerably invested in the procurement of booster shots, the public complacency cannot be ignored. The single death reported today can easily snowball into a typhoon neither our healthcare nor the crippled economy can survive. Therefore, the best chance of survival remains by paying heed to talk of doom and gloom because the medical experts have already started ringing the bells. The new variants might appear with mild symptoms but their ultra-fast transmissibility can inflict wrath upon those whose immunity has already been compromised. A virus that a young and healthy man might take a night or two to fight off can easily leave someone struggling with heart disease, for instance, gasping for a single breath of air. Therefore, no matter what the excitement to jump back to pre-pandemic normalcy might entail, the masses need to unroll masks and put a cap on social gatherings. Trying to inculcate responsibility in societal behaviour holds the key to nipping the monstrosity in the bud because the lockdowns of the days gone by cannot, and should not be repeated in a country exasperating to make its ends meet. Another viable solution would be to make third (and fourth in the case of elderly) booster shots mandatory. There is no shortage of data to suggest the waning immunity of vaccination after the passage of six months. A state with an eye on long-term implications would not lose a minute before investing in public awareness campaigns. The mega vaccination centres also need a slight dusting off so that an instrumental service to drive us through the curve can be made accessible again. Considering a general inclination to throw caution in the air, lacing the healthcare system with emergency arrangements (drug doses, oxygen cylinders, ventilators) is an unsaid order of the day. But until then, here’s to hoping the elite limit their summer soirees and air-conditioned bonanzas so that the hapless can enjoy one more day of healthy lives. *