Health Ministry Disputes Study on COVID-19 Deaths in India
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India has challenged a study published in the journal Science Advances, which claims there was excess mortality in India during 2020 due to COVID-19. The Ministry stated that the study’s estimates are ‘untenable and unacceptable’ and pointed out critical flaws in the methodology used by the authors.
Flaws in the Study
The study used data from a subset of households surveyed between January and April 2021 and compared mortality rates in 2020 with those in 2019. The Ministry argued that this subset, representing only 23% of households from 14 states, is not representative of the entire country. Additionally, the timing of data collection during the peak of the pandemic could have introduced selection and reporting biases.
India’s Robust Civil Registration System
The Ministry emphasized that India’s Civil Registration System (CRS) is highly robust, capturing over 99% of deaths. The increase in death registrations in 2020 was consistent with trends from previous years and not solely attributable to COVID-19. The Ministry also noted that excess mortality includes deaths from all causes, not just those directly caused by COVID-19.
Contradictory Findings
The study’s findings on age and sex-specific mortality rates were also disputed. The study claimed higher mortality in females and younger age groups, which contradicts data showing higher COVID-19 mortality in males and older age groups. The Ministry concluded that the study’s results are inconsistent and unreliable.
Doubts Revealed
Health Ministry -: The Health Ministry is a part of the government that looks after the health and well-being of people in the country. In India, it is called the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
COVID-19 -: COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus called coronavirus. It started spreading around the world in 2019 and caused a lot of people to get sick.
Science Advances -: Science Advances is a scientific journal where researchers publish their studies and findings. It’s like a special magazine for science.
excess mortality -: Excess mortality means more people died than usual. It is used to measure the impact of events like pandemics.
methodology -: Methodology is the way researchers do their study. It includes the steps and tools they use to collect and analyze data.
non-representative subset -: A non-representative subset means the group of people studied does not accurately reflect the whole population. It’s like asking only your friends about their favorite food and saying it’s everyone’s favorite.
Civil Registration System -: The Civil Registration System in India keeps official records of important events like births and deaths. It helps the government know how many people are born and die each year.
age and sex-specific mortality rates -: Age and sex-specific mortality rates show how many people of different ages and genders die. It helps understand which groups are more affected by diseases.
