Four years after the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus hit India, the country faced severe impacts like overwhelmed healthcare systems, oxygen shortages, and bodies floating in rivers.
Reports and independent surveys showed the true death toll from COVID-19 was much higher than the official figure of 3.32 lakh.
Excess deaths in 2021 were 21.5 lakh, meaning there were 6.5 times more deaths than officially reported, indicating underreporting of COVID-19 deaths.
States like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana had much higher multiples, suggesting COVID-19 deaths were significantly underreported.
The delay in releasing official reports and data, like the Sample Registration System Report, shows the government's reluctance to fully assess and share the pandemic's true impact.
India's civil registration system has improved over time, but there are still issues with medical certification of death causes, which is lower than in other countries like Brazil.
The delay in vital data release reduces the effectiveness of improvements in tracking deaths and hinders public health efforts.
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