With the world poised to pass the 2-million-death threshold, COVID-19 outbreak situations are worsening in several parts of the world, including Peru, where intensive care unit (ICU) beds in and around Lima have almost reached capacity.Outbreaks are gathering steam, as expected, following holiday gatherings and travel, but global health officials are bracing for an even bigger impact from the simultaneous emergence of more transmissible variants from different continents.Yesterday during a social media chat, Mike Ryan, MD, who directs the World Health Organization (WHO) health emergencies program, warned that the second year of the pandemic could be even tougher than the first year.UK warns of further burden on hospitalsIn the United