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While the reported deaths may be low, the 'they are hiding something' attitude is not helpful. India cannot do the level of testing that western countries do du
by newyankee 7y ago
While the reported deaths may be low, the 'they are hiding something' attitude is not helpful. India cannot do the level of testing that western countries do due to the humongous population. I can very well assure you in India you cannot hide mass deaths like China. A distant relative died of cardiac arrest and the measures were so strict that in a highly social society where paying respects to a deceased is considered a basic duty, only 5 close people were allowed. The body was directly cremated by specially appointed staff at the hospital.
While i am worried about the fact that social distancing is difficult to implement in India what has helped so far are the following measures:
1. Extremely strict lockdown - i have not gotten out of my home in more than a month, thankfully essential workers keep the essential supplies running.
2. I think BCG vaccination especially amongst young folks makes a difference and i think the immunity is higher amongst Indians (hypothesis)
3. Summer heat (hypothesis)
4. India had very early measures towards screening people coming from other countries since Jan which helped.
The cases and deaths will undoubtedly increase, however the question i have a reasonable answer to is : Do you think the best and timely measures were taken given the constraints ? Undoubtedly yes.
Ever since the outbreak happened the usual suspects have been churning out article after article about the low numbers and it seems like some of the vested interests were expecting us to lead the world in deaths instead of EU and US.
For a second the folks need to commend the work done and what was done correctly. The sacrifice of millions of Indians who are following the lockdown diligently.
As a country with limited infrastructure we cannot work without social distancing, yet somehow we have survived through this period, which is undoubtedly a miracle. This has flattened the curve and the overworked healthcare professionals have a difficult year or 2 ahead of them to ensure the no of actively infected remains manageable.
- blackrock 7y ago> I can very well assure you in India you cannot hide mass deaths like China. LOL.. What happens internally in India, is not my concern. But to say this, is disingenuous. Don’t you have a little Muslim rebellion going on over there? With intense media and Internet blackouts? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8256349/Indias-Muslims-bear-brunt-crisis-blamed-government.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8256349/Indias-Musl... https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/india-restores-internet-kashmir-7-months-blackout-200305053858356.html https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/india-restores-intern...
- thaway757383884 7y agoApparently it’s so well hidden that you have reports on it in a UK and Middle Eastern media establishment. It’s so well hidden that it’s been discussed on the floors of the US Congress, UK parliament, and between the Indian head of state and his UK/US counterparts. I find it fascinating that people write comments where their own evidence disproves their comment. Neither of the articles you link to even mention hidden mass deaths, and the articles’ very existence only goes to prove the point that it’s hard to hide info in India. That’s not to say that China has been hiding a mass of dead bodies that hasn’t been reported. However, it would certainly be a lot easier to do that in China than in pretty much anywhere else in the world, especially India.
- kumarvvr 7y agoYou say mass deaths are possible to hide, yet provide international sources of news. I am an Indian, and let me tell you, if 10 people die, its a huge news. Its not possible to cover up anything in India. You might point out about Kashmir, but Kashmir is a different case considering it had its own constitution and governance until very recently, and due to Pakistan sponsored terrorism, the state has stricter controls than the rest of India.
- manojlds 7y agoA single case of suspected swine flu was reported so fast across whatsapp and social media. People don't understand how prevalent social media is in India and think people are just dying at homes. The BBC definitely is anti-India.
- sbmthakur 7y agoCalling them anti-India is a bit too much. Their shallow analysis might be the result of less people on the ground.
- rusticpenn 7y agoPeople also forget that India has a lot of experience in handling epidemics. Nipha virus(2016?) was quickly reported and the spread was drastically reduced. However, I still am afraid that India might top the list of infections overtime. Its harder for a developing country to maintain a balance between economy and lockdown.
- govg 7y agoThat experience was almost exclusively only one state - Kerala, and they have also handled this one in the best manner compared to the other states in the country.
- chrismorgan 7y agoNotwithstanding that, the provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 have been invoked a lot over the years—just normally in smaller areas than the entire country as it is at present. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemic_Diseases_Act,_1897 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemic_Diseases_Act,_1897
- rusticpenn 7y agoThat was just one example. In India, they regularly deal with breakouts like cholera, swine flu, malaria etc.
- pmachinery 7y ago> While the reported deaths may be low, the 'they are hiding something' attitude is not helpful [...] in India you cannot hide mass deaths like China. If you rightly don't want people taking an unhelpful attitude towards India, try not to do the same yourself about other countries.