There is nothing more compelling in the news today than the surge in Covid-19 cases to 250,000 per day, bringing global infections to 14.5m and deaths to 600,000.

Nations that took a breather are seeing new increases. It raises big questions that should have been answered by the Spanish flu.

Reopening economies too quickly is clearly not a safe strategy and not respecting the virus is a decidedly unhealthy pastime.

Intriguingly, Allied armies also relaxed their guard after D-Day and the Germans regrouped and hit back.

It seems as true as ever that the one thing we never learn from history is that we never learn from history. 

Well, whatever, the US hit a record of new cases at over 75,000 in one day and nations that once struggled and thought they had it beaten are in trouble again.

The good news is that the global case fatality rate is falling. At one stage it reached almost as high as 6% and two weeks ago it was 4.75%, but now its just above 4%.

Some scientists are saying, cautiously, that Covid seems to be burning out. That may be reflecting herd immunity, as communities acquire enough collective resistance.

Progress on vaccines is also promising, with labs indicating that they are 80% of the way to perfecting a viable vaccine. 

As the Northern nations slowly pass through summer into autumn, there is a concern that they will see a big surge, so the race is on to vaccinate before then.

No doubt, the biggest casualty of this terrible contagion has been the global economy and jobs. It could take a decade or more to recover.

That said, the world bounced back from plagues, wars, pandemics and depressions. We really have. No doubt we will again.

So, gloomy as it all seems, I do see light at the end of the tunnel and I do draw hope.

(c) Peter Missing @ me2u2all.blogspot.com