Attributing cause of death to a #single_virus i.e., #Covid_without_testing for others: It is scientifically correct? All causes death in India: Impact of Covid Pandemic. #Covid #Pandemic

As per study published in #Lancet-2019 (Funded by GOI), in India around 96.5 lakh deaths in a year 2017. Out of these around 25 lakhs by #communicable infection diseases (6900 per day). Out of 25 lakhs around 4.7 lakh deaths are of young age (15-44 yrs) persons. Respiratory infections cause around 3.4 lakh deaths (930 per day), and TB around 3.75 lakh deaths (1027 deaths daily). Every year such deaths occur with slight fluctuations.
Total #Natural deaths-71.22 lakh. Total Unnatural deaths (accidents, suicides, homicides)- 9.21 lakhs. Deaths where Cause not known- 2.38 lakh. Out of 96.5 lakhs around 15.5 lakh deaths are of young age (15-44 yrs) persons.

If we study the last pandemic of 2009 (swine flu H1N1) in USA and India, then we come to know that even after adding the deaths due to pandemic virus, there is no increase in overall number of deaths due to communicable infection and even there is no increase in overall number of deaths due to respiratory infections or overall natural deaths. Means only name of the virus was changed, for cause death in place of another virus. This is due to non-testing of other viruses in pandemic situation. Thus, pandemic deaths were not additional deaths.

During this Covid pandemic, if we study the data from Italy, we can come to know that last winter Italy has around 34000 deaths due to Swine flu Influenza virus. But this winter there are only 258 deaths due to said virus (this is because these cases were tested before arrival of Covid) and after arrival of covid there is no swine flu Influenza deaths, because all subsequent deaths were tested for covid virus only; so labelled as Covid deaths.

In Covid phase, even in India we are not doing test for other viruses except Covid. So, in India also, covid deaths will not be additional deaths and our yearly routine death rates due to infection causes or rates due overall natural deaths will not increase.
But, unfortunately, this year till date we have added 50-65% suicides (i.e., unnatural deaths) as additional deaths.

An autopsy study has revealed that people who are suspected to die from viral respiratory pathogens, more than one virus and bacteria are often found causing death. A positive test for coronavirus does not mean necessarily that this virus is always primarily responsible for a patient’s demise. But as we are not testing for other viruses, all other respiratory infections deaths appear to be labelled under Covid and that’s why COVID-19 being the underlying cause of death more often than not and the same is inflating the numbers of COVID deaths and is #misleading the public about the actual number of these deaths.

Means, in Covid death also, there might be other viruses and bacteria (which we are not testing right now) equally responsible for the death of the said person. #Without_testing_for_other_viruses and bacteria that are routinely causing lakhs of deaths in India, attributing death to the single tested virus i.e., covid is #scientifically_incorrect.

Testing only for covid, does it mean that all other viruses and bacteria’s that are causing lakhs of death are vanished due to appearance of covid?

I hope our policy makers will take into account such already available data before taking any policy decisions and once again reconsider their decisions on handling of covid pandemic before it becomes too late.

Compiled by Dr Indrajit Khandekar.
Professor- Forensic Medicine