WHO expressed concern about the figure
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the figure grim, saying it should prompt countries to invest more in their capabilities to deal with future health emergencies. Under the WHO, scientists were given the responsibility of assessing the actual number of deaths by January 2020 and by the end of last year.
1 crore 60 lakh people died
According to the report, 1.33 crore to 1.66 crore people died either due to corona virus or its effect on healthcare. For example, cancer patients could not get treatment due to the hospital being filled with Covid patients. This figure is based on data provided by countries and statistical modeling. The WHO has not directly provided details of deaths from COVID-19.
Expert said – this will help in understanding the epidemic
Albert Koo, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health, said that jumping to conclusions about a number is a complex task, but the WHO data is very important to understand how we should and how to combat future pandemics. Must be prepared. Dr Bharat Pankhania, a health expert at the University of Exeter, UK, said the exact number of deaths due to Covid-19 will never be known, especially in poor countries. He said that in the long run, Covid-19 could cause more damage.
India raised questions on the method of assessment
Countries like India have raised questions about the methodology of estimating deaths due to Covid-19. Earlier this week the Indian government released new figures that showed there were 474,806 more deaths in 2020 than last year. India did not release a death estimate for 2021.