Kathmandu, May 15 -- In early April, the coronavirus cases were at an all-time low and we were reporting from Janakpur, and the surrounding border region for two episodes of Himalmedia'sSaglo Samajweekly tv magazine program.

But we did not know that the surge in India was alreadybeginning to affect the Tarai. After we returned to Kathmandu, we found out that our fixer in Janakpur had tested positive for Covid-19. All of us at Saglo Samajon that trip quarantined for a week.

None of us showed any symptoms, so we got back to work, this time to report onthe second wavethat had by then started to affect Kathmandu Valley. The number of cases was doubling every three days, and the number of fatalities nationwide was shooting up.

A day before ...