Things have gone from bad to worse in the pandemic's global epicenter. India reported nearly 400,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday — and the death count is likely higher than current estimates. Lauren Frayer, NPR's correspondent in Mumbai, explains why. Follow more of her work here or on Twitter @lfrayer.

The surge in India may be due, in part, to new coronavirus variants circulating in the country. NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff reports on one that's been referred to as a "double mutant."

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