The coronavirus situation in India continues to escalate, as cases surpass 20 million and over 220,000 deaths are reported. Though these statistics continue to rise following the lifting of restrictions throughout India, experts warn that they are most definitely undercounting both deaths and cases.
The reason for this is multifactorial.
Testing is currently low in India due to limited supply of kits as well as healthcare personnel. Though the World Health Organization recommends 10-30 tests per confirmed case, India has only been completing 5 per case (comparatively, the US has managed to perform 17 tests per confirmed case).
Additionally, the death rate is almost certainly much higher. Because the healthcare system is overwhelmed, many COVID victims (especially in rural areas) die at home and are then cremated in homemade pyres. Therefore, they are not typically included in the mortality statistics.
To make matters worse, vaccination efforts are slow due both to supply as well as cost. Though around 2 million people (.15% of the population) are vaccinated daily, many experts are concerned that the cost of the vaccine will prohibit the poor (those most impacted by the virus) from protection. Unlike the US, the vaccine is not offered for free in India.
Some parties are pressuring the government to make vaccines free, however its unclear how successful those efforts will be.
