India Coronavirus Dispatch: Are we under-reporting the death toll?

A vacation-like quarantine experience in Nagaland, bad press for quarantine centres in Ahmedabad, small town in UP stands firm against Covid-news on how India is dealing with pandemic

Reportage

Deflating death figures: This investigation into the way states are recording Covid-19 deaths makes for a very grim case: states have apparently been under-reporting the coronavirus death toll. Several with Covid-19 symptoms are suspected to be positive but are not officially confirmed. Their deaths don’t always make it to the state’s virus records. Secondly, people with co-morbidities aren’t being recorded under the Covid-19 columns either. A look at the difference in the number of people cremated at Covid-19 designated locations and the official figures for the state are a giveaway. Read more here.
 

Eco- and people-friendly quarantine: Nagaland’s Chizami village has a quarantine centre called ‘creativity hub’. It is managed by local organisations. Those returning to the Northeastern state are required to spend 14 days in institutional quarantine, followed by an additional 14 days at home.  To ensure those under quarantine get a chance to de-stress, the quarantine centre -- which refuses to identify itself as such -- offers a resort-like experience. That it’s located in a picturesque setting only adds to the charm. It also boasts of bamboo huts and a rainwater harvesting system. Read more here.
 

A small town fights back: Chunar, in Uttar Pradesh, has shown how local governance can work during a crisis. The town’s local body has carried out public awareness drives and worked towards ensuring the safety of its frontline sanitary workers. It has also set up a task force that meets virtually, to look after the sanitation requirements of the area. Collective effort has ensured there are less than 10 cases, but the local body does not plan to get complacent. Read more here.

Ahmedabad’s testing woes: Gujarat has the highest mortality rate in the country at 4.09 per cent. Experts in the state say that late identification of the virus is the cause. Residents of the city point at the abysmal conditions of public hospitals. Their fears are not unfounded; the Gujarat High Court, in May, had slammed the city’s biggest Covid facility for its ‘pathetic’ and ‘painful’ conditions. The stigma attached with testing positive could also be playing a role. Read more here.
 

Video
 

Sero-surveys and what they mean: The sero-surveys in Mumbai and Delhi were widely reported. However, some experts feel the process was not scientifically rigorous. Among other issues, the major concern in the studies was that the sample sizes in both cases are too small and may not be representative of the population. The data itself has interesting implications, though. A disease modeller compared the data for Mumbai and Delhi with that in the US and found that the virus may actually be less fatal in India than in other places. Watch the video here. 
 

Opinion

Widespread suffering: This soul-stirring column makes an urgent plea: the time for headline management is over. The fact that the virus has spread to remote parts of the country that are characterised by poor infrastructure is a major cause of concern. “If the disease remains in any part of the country, it will spread,” she says. The economy can no longer afford unplanned lockdowns and the suffering for the poorer classes is bound to be huge. The time for distractions, too, is over. Read more here.
 

Long Read

A long history: While much of the language used for describing Covid-19 suggests that such a situation is unprecedented, it’s important to recall the long battle India has been fighting against Tuberculosis. From outbreaks in slums, total drug resistance to administrations going into denial, it has been a long, arduous journey. Covid-19 has meant serious trouble for doctors treating TB. The story of a TB expert in Mumbai encapsulates the bleak state of public health. Read more here.