Underreporting of COVID-19 Deaths in India: Bad Science or Smart Politics?

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the world over the past three years with millions already dead. Despite making major strides to combat the pandemic with useful vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, potential for more dangers from new variants of COVID-19 cannot be ruled out. Several studies have recently shown that the number of COVID-19 deaths as reported by different nations was far less than the number of people who may have died due to pandemic. Although many countries across the globe may have undercounted the death toll due to COVID-19, India holds the ignominious distinction for the highest number of unrecognized COVID-19 deaths. Both unreliable science and willful spread of misinformation about true lethal nature of COVID-19 by devious governmental authorities are likely responsible for the gross underreporting of COVID-19 deaths. Complete scientific transparency and absolute immunity against political intrusion of healthcare would be essential to end the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect humanity against other pandemics in future.