COVID-19 in Telangana: 50 per cent of deaths not being reported due to stigma

[Spartan]

COVID-19 deaths are estimated to be 50 per cent higher than the reported cases in the state’s medical bulletin.

Suspected, non-tested and negative report-based deaths are not being registered by the government as there is no proof of the COVID-19 test results and families are unwilling to have the name of the disease on the death certificate.

Suspected cases are those who come with complaints of severe breathlessness, oxygen levels less than 50 per cent and CT scan reports showing high viral load in the lungs but die suddenly without testing done.

The second category is of sudden deaths at home or on the way to the hospital without symptoms and their samples are not being taken for testing.

The third category is of people who have tested negative for COVID-19. It has been found that some people are being tested early that is within three days of developing symptoms and do not have enough viral load in the body. However, they develop complications, are hospitalised and die. These are often found positive from the samples are taken after their deaths. Often, due to the death and late arrival of test results, families do not want it to be registered and it is being alleged that the government too does not want to show these cases in their data.