When the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic six months ago this week, it was a much smaller menace. There were about 118,000 cases across 114 countries. Some 4,200 people had died, thousands more were fighting for their lives in hospitals. When declaring the pandemic, the first one ever caused by a coronavirus, the WHO registered concern at its alarming spread and severity, and the dismaying levels of inaction seen across the globe. At that point, more than 90 per cent of cases were in just four countries. Two of those - China and South Korea, with over 80,000 and 7,000 cases each - had begun to record declines after they enacted aggressive responses, while Italy and Iran were spiralling towards 10,000 cases each. Today, the sweep of the virus is nearly universal and has reached over 28 million cases - and counting - of which some 19 million have recovered, while deaths are approaching the one-million mark.

It has not been all gloom. The genome sequence of the virus was ready within weeks; fast and effective tests are available, while the quest for a vaccine continues with at least 35 promising candidates. There has been close collaboration within the world's scientific community. Science prevailed even in theocratic nations which closed down places of worship during lockdowns; religious leaders did not contest advice that gatherings were to be avoided. Governments allocated trillions to protecting the health of citizens and easing economic and social disruptions.