| We don't say "record" anymore when we send out headlines on India's coronavirus infections every day. It's kind of pointless to keep flagging it if it's always a record. Plus, we anyway have the world record now. That, in some ways, encapsulates the general sense of gloom, doom and we'll-deal-with-whatever-happens mindset that most Indians are adopting. With more than 300,000 new cases for the ninth day in a row and steadily rising deaths, there's not much to do except hunker down wherever you are and wait for the virus storm to blow over. In the meantime, you hear of friends, family, domestic helpers and colleagues getting infected every day. And you earnestly pray that none of them needs a hospital bed or worse, oxygen cylinders. Because those aren't always available when you need them. India's hospital emergency rooms are in wartime conditions right now. Experts point to vaccination as the primary way to flatten the virus curve—shots may not always prevent Covid-19 infection (with multiple variants in the India mix, the vaccines aren't the panacea) but they can at least prevent severe illness and hospitalization.  People refill medical oxygen cylinders for Covid-19 patients. Photographer: SANJAY KANOJIA/AFP We all want the vaccine. But that's easier said than done when you live in a crowded country of 1.3 billion people with porous health-care provision at the best of times. The Narendra Modi-led government will expand vaccine access to everyone above the age of 18 years from this weekend, but online registrations on Wednesday crashed servers as tens of thousands of Indians tried to get a spot. When systems came back online about an hour later, there were zero available slots. So there's a long line to get vaccinated, if you are healthy. Another long line for hospital facilities, should you get sick. And yet another for crematoriums, should you be in the unfortunate situation of losing a loved one. While other nations and big companies have begun sending medical aid to India, it seems of little consequence immediately. The biggest frustration is that amid all the chaos and crisis unfolding around me, there isn't much any of us can do. The most useful thing I can do for my family is to rush out and get enough fruits and vegetables before the 11 a.m. curfew kicks in in Mumbai every day. With lockdown-like rules for the second time in the past year, it's back to the basics for me. Eat. Work (from home). Pray. Repeat.—Bhuma Shrivastava | 
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