‘Findings Can’t Be Trusted’: Govt’s 4-Point Rebuttal On Report Claiming Higher Covid Deaths In India

New Delhi: Refuting claims made by an international magazine in its article that speculated ‘India has suffered perhaps five-to-seven times “excess deaths” than the official number of Covid-19 fatalities’, the Centre on Saturday said it is a speculative article, which is without any basis and seems to be misinformed.

In an official statement, the Union Health Ministry even slammed the publication without naming it. 

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“The unsound analysis of the said article is based on the extrapolation of data without any epidemiological evidence,” the ministry said, adding that studies used by the magazine to estimate the mortality are not validated tools for determining the death rate of any country or region.

In a four-point clarification, the Health Ministry went on to list the reasons why the studies used by the publication cannot be trusted.

Point 1: Article Based On Data Extrapolation

Busting the myth on Covid-19 mortality figures, the Health Ministry stated the said article’s “unsound analysis” is based on data extrapolation and not on any epidemiological evidence.

Point 2: Data Taken From Studies Not Done By Validated Tools

The Union Health Ministry in its release said the studies, which are used by the magazine as an estimate of excess mortality, are not validated tools for determining mortality rate of any country or region. 

Point 3: Detailed Methodology Of Study Not Provided By Magazine

With regard to another ‘evidence’ cited which is based on a study supposedly done by Christopher Laffler of Virginia Commonwealth University, the ministry said the magazine has not provided a detailed methodology of this study.

Point 4: No Peer Reviewed Scientific Data Available

Throwing light on another evidence given that the study done in Telangana is based on insurance claims, the Health Ministry categorically said “there is no peer-reviewed scientific data available on such study”.

Pointing out to two other studies based on those done by Psephology groups namely ‘Prashnam’ and ‘C-Voter”, the ministry said they were “never ever associated with public health research”.

Highlighting the case of Bihar which has revised its Covid-19 death toll, the Health Ministry said the states constantly reporting lower number of daily deaths were asked to re-check their data.

The ministry added the Indian Council of Medical Research has in order to avoid inconsistency in the number of deaths being reported issued ‘Guidance for appropriate recording of COVID-19 related deaths in India’ earlier in May last year.