Warnings of a severe Covid-19 second wave could not prevent it from crashing with deadly force onto South Africa in January. The virus spread rapidly, partly because of a lack of strict adherence to tiresome, yet crucial, nonpharmaceutical protocols. It was spurred yet further by a new variant, which made the virus 50% more transmissible but, fortunately, not more deadly. As if that were not enough, South Africa was afflicted by several other woes this month that were either directly or indirectly linked to the pandemic. These ranged from oxygen and steel shortages to a disruption to proceedings at the Zondo commission.