The film Force Majeure features a scene in which customers at an open-air Alpine restaurant witness an avalanche. As snow barrels down the mountain towards them, they watch, at first with insouciance, then rising anxiety, and finally scatter in panic. Observing the Omicron wave build in China feels a bit like this.

We can see the approaching onslaught, we know it is coming, but it is not quite here yet – and we do not know for sure how bad the impact will be. Is it a planned explosion, as one of the diners in the movie opines, or are we in the realm of out-of-control events?