ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND CASES PER DAY

One thing I've watched with minor amusement is how the US media regularly (led by the big outlets) picks up one country semi-randomly and makes it sound as if Covid there is some TREMENDOUSLY HUGE DEAL.

Covid-19 Live Updates: India Tops 100,000 Cases a Day as Virus Races Out of Control

...

Though damaging and ultimately flawed, the lockdown and other efforts appeared to work. Infections dropped and deaths remained low. Officials and the public dropped their guard. Experts warned fruitlessly that the government’s haphazard approach would bring a crisis when a new wave appeared.

Now the crisis is here.

India on Saturday reported a daily record of 145,384 new infections as Covid-19 raced out of control. Deaths, while still relatively low, are rising. Vaccinations, a mammoth task in such a large nation, are dangerously behind schedule. Hospital beds are running short.

It's always bad when the curve shoots up, national numbers don't always convey the magnitude of more local outbreaks, and hospital capacities can differ greatly. But adjusted for population, 145K new cases per day is equivalent to 36K in the US. The US hasn't had a 7-day average figure that low since... September.

Sure it's worrying, as it is everywhere when the case number shoots up, but...