Kerala, a state of 35 million, has only had 4 deaths? Why couldn't we have done the same?

[Destinysdaughter]

For those of you praising Boris and the Government for their handling of this crisis, please read this. Kerala, a state in India has only had 4 deaths! Lead by a woman, she became aware of the impending crisis and took immediate action. Can anyone tell me why the UK couldn't have done this?

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/14/the-coronavirus-slayer-how-keralas-rock-star-health-minister-helped-save-it-from-covid-19

[Tdaadfb100]

Same in Macau. A tiny, very densely populated place; millions of Chinese tourists in Dec/Jan and only about 45 cases and NO deaths. No social distancing but early lockdown and everyone wearing masks.

[Hercwasonaroll]

Are their numbers accurate would be my first question.

[Wheresthebiffer2]

Only 4 reported deaths.

[jobhunter7]

@Wheresthebiffer2

If you're quibbling the honesty of their reporting, I think you can do with pretty much every country...

I suspect if thousands more had died, then somebody would flag that.

[hamstersarse]

There are so many variables at play...such as demographics of population (especially age), metabolic health of the population (ours is terrible), things like vitamin D levels (ours is terrible in the winter),

[Puppybum]

Around 80% of our deaths are in the over 70s are there many over 70s in kerala

[jobhunter7]

We can still change the way we do things... and I think we should really question the way our government has handled things...

Although there are lots of factors in play - the astounding differences in the death tolls between some countries and ours shows there is probably much that can be done and changed...

[Devlesko]

We are nearly twice the size for a start.
Our government puts money before lives. our government are incapable of locking down in time.
Our government have been allowing any Tom Dick or Harry to travel here with no restrictions or testing.

[HathorX]

Wow, I was ready to be sceptical but what a story! This Shailaja really sounds amazing.

I love the bit about training up schoolteachers in Kerala to do contact tracing- I can't imagine that working in the UK!

[CurlyEndive]

We don't know the long term situation though. After they come out of lockdown the infection may start spreading.

[jobhunter7]

@HathorX

I can imagine it. Hundreds of thousands signed up to be NHS volunteers. They are ready, willing and able... just waiting for the call...

[jobhunter7]

That was an interesting article.

What I find it hard to understand is why the friends and families of the tens of thousands who have died from this disease are not questioning the government's policy far more?

It only takes a few seconds to sign an online petition.

[StuckInnTheMiddle]

Puppybum

Are you really asking if in a state of 35 million, there are many over 70s?

The approx no of over 70’s in just under 2 million. 4 deaths in a state of 35 million is pretty amazing under the circumstances

[Kokeshi123]

They have done a pretty bang-up job.

They basically followed the drill from Nipah---ruthlessly tracing contacts and isolating them in central quarantine units. They acted very quickly.

Mask-wearing is not really a part of the culture (unlike many of the East Asian countries) but it seems that Kerala also pushed mask production and usage from early on in the outbreak.

Yes, they have many over-70s in Kerala---it has the best public health system and best health outcomes in India.

[Helmetbymidnight]

the boris fans explain it like this:

all other countries are lying except us

we have way more old people - all the old people and fat ones

we are densly populated/over crowded.

itsa load of shit but theygenuinely believe it.

[fishfingersandtrashtv]

What about the TB vaccine - maybe that is a factor.

[Didkdt]

She has done this before with the Kipila virus. She's learned a lot and yes has been overlooked by us the WHO and most if not all of Europe
She also knew the routes that the infection would come in on.
If I'm honest I think we possibly would have been ok IF the Italian and Andorran ski resorts had been a bit more on the ball about their rates of infection
My feeling is the contact tracing and isolating was working here- until thousands of school and leisure ski trips came back after February half term from a region where we weren't expecting there to be mass Covid-19.
Then there was an unconstrained explosion in cases. Yes probably made worse by concerts and Cheltenham etc.
No the government didn't get it right but neither did those repatriated from infected regions coming home and saying at the airport I'm going to self isolate after I've seen my gran etc.

[oralengineer]

There has been a good study published re the mortality rate and the latitude. Countries above 35degrees latitude have much higher mortality rates. It is pointing to Vit D deficiency.
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.01.20087965v1.full.pdf

[Mamamia456]

The weather is a lot hotter there and the virus can't survive for long in sunlight. That would make a huge difference.

[BusterTheBulldog]

That weather / sun train of thought doesn’t work for Iran though does it? It always seems like there is an exception to every possible pattern.

[Cornettoninja]

It’s pretty clear to me that countries that lock down early, track and trace and implement good prevention methods including masks have much better control. Basically anywhere that’s taking it seriously and has paid attention to the lessons to be learned from SARS and MERS.

There are some countries with low figures that I am suspicious of due to conflicting reports coming out. The BBC correspondent based in Brazil did a piece where it was clear the experience of the local crematoriums was not matching the countries official figures. Much like us at the beginning they’re clearly not counting ‘suspected’ cases despite clinical diagnosis being pretty good now without a positive test.

Nothing will be clear in the early stages and a lot will have to be extrapolated from comparisons with previous annual deaths. We still don’t have an accurate figure for the Spanish flu and other pandemics since a lot will slip through the net.

[iVampire]

BAME more vulnerable

Which makes this achievement, and that across India, all the more impressive.

Anyone know the stats for Pakistan and Bangladesh? And what about all the countries of sub-Saharan Africa?

[cathyandclare]

BAME are more vulnerable in the US, Europe and the UK, however that does not necessarily translate to being vulnerable in other countries and climates.

Dark skins make Vitamin D less effectively, so BAME are at increased risk of deficiency in European climates, particularly after a long Winter. However, in Jamaica or in India there levels can be adequate.

[cathyandclare]

their

[Coffeecak3]

@Mamamia456 that doesn't explain Australian deaths from Covid 19 during a very hot summer.