Very much along the anticipated lines, Covid-19 cases in India have started witnessing a rise again. On Thursday, India reported 2,380 Covid-19 cases and 56 deaths. Active cases in the country have touched above 13,000. At the same time, the reproduction number (R-Value) — an indicator of the pace of the spread of the disease among the population — has increased from 0.93 in the past week to 1.07 between April 12 to April 18. So, as things stand today, the cases are on the rise. This, however, as the news agency ANI reported, is not yet seen as an indicator of the fourth wave. Capital Delhi, on Wednesday, reported more than 1,000 cases for two consecutive days, with the positivity rate hovering over 5.70 per cent. This situation, again, has put us in an apprehensive situation. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the thumb rule for protection has been to strike a fine balance between panic and caution. The same needs to be exercised under the present circumstances. Fortunately, an understanding has been reached among the common masses and the political leadership that repeated waves/surges in Covid have become more of a common phenomenon. The idea of living with Covid is gradually being ingrained in society. This trend can be seen in the actions of governments and public behaviour. The Delhi government, for instance, has rightly made masks mandatory again and imposed a fine of Rs 500 in case of violations. At the same time, Delhi Disaster Management Authority has decided to come up with separate Standard Operating Procedures for the functioning of schools rather than reactively shutting schools down. Certainly, a middle ground has to be reached, in case the situation goes out of control, to ensure that basic attributes of the economy and human life are least affected. Bruises of a battered economy and disrupted social life have emerged to be comparably detrimental vis-à-vis health and life risks from the Covid. Moreover, in the present case, the extent of the threat from the Covid surge is not certain and projections are floated mostly on speculations. Since the causal factor behind the current rise in Covid cases is a sub-variant of the Omicron, and not an altogether new variant, some experts suggest that people may already be immune to the subvariant. A part of the problem of the rising case is also being traced to the opening up of social and economic institutions after the third wave. But, as said, speculations remain speculations. The most threatening attribute of the Covid-19 pandemic has been its sheer unpredictability. It shouldn't come as a shock if the present surge takes monstrous proportions. It can be observed that gradually the trajectory of the pandemic is becoming more predictable, though only slightly. The element of predictability will have to be made stronger with time through better research and analytics. Having understood that ending the pandemic is not a day's game, countries including India must make huge investments in scientific research to get as close to the line of predictability as it is possible. Developing such a scientific ecosystem will not just save people from death and unwarranted destruction but also cut the cost of health expenditure a great deal. Also, globally, the countries must start forging collaborations for sharing of data and intelligence around the pandemic. It has to be made a part of global diplomacy for a long-term solution to the pandemic. As for now, the government must step up its vaccination drive and effectively communicate the required message with the masses, asking them to be cautious while not panicking. The likelihood of the fourth wave emanating from the current surge in cases has been thwarted by certain experts but people should take upon themselves the responsibility to ward off any possible threat in the future. Having already lost a lot during the pandemic, we must aim to prevent every single avoidable death.