COVID-19 deaths surge in India

India’s daily recorded deaths from COVID-19 have nearly tripled in the past three weeks. The official death toll passed 200,000 on Wednesday, but the actual number is believed to be far higher. Some experts think it could be several times the recorded amount. Mortality data in India was poor even before the pandemic, with most people dying at home and their deaths often going unregistered.

How is the country handling the surge? The spike in cases blindsided authorities, and hospitals are scrambling for more oxygen, beds, ventilators, and ambulances. Dr. Lance Pinto, a respirologist at a hospital in Mumbai, said he thought low infection levels during January lulled India into complacency. The World Health Organization, the United States, and other countries are sending emergency supplies.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report about how the pandemic worsened conditions for persecuted Christians in many countries, including India.