Indian Covid-19 wave may set South, SE Asian economies back 20 years: Global Times

Nepalese army personnel in PPE suits salute to pay tribute to Covid-19 victims before cremating their bodies near Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 7, 2021. - AP

YANGON (Global Times): India's close neighbours in South and Southeast Asia, home to more than a fourth of the world's population with high population density and a great number of people living in poverty, have been overwhelmed by India's deepening coronavirus crisis.

With a much weaker economy and healthcare system, the fierce new Covid-19 wave will deliver a "lethal blow" to the already fragile economy of India's close neighbours, Chinese observers said, noting it may need 10 to 20 years for neighbouring countries to have their economies return to pre-pandemic levels.