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

[MangoFeverDream]

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

Iran is a huge country with a huge variation in climate due to altitude. Can actually be quite cold there

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

Not clear at all. Japan didn’t lock down and or do hardly any testing. They do social distancing and mask wearing well though.

[MangoFeverDream]

Also isn’t India where they manufacture hydroxychloroquinine? They use it as an anti-malarial so I’m sure doctors know how to prescribe and manage side effects better than most doctors. Would be nice to know

[LangClegsInSpace]

Conditions are never like for like. Every country is different and within every country different states and provinces are different and areas right down to counties, districts, parishes and postcodes are different. And below postcode level different settings are different.

We should be seeking out best practice wherever it happens and we should be learning whatever we can and applying it wherever we can. And that will look different in every setting.

[Mlou32]

I very, very much doubt that they've had anything like only 4 deaths.

[Stuckforthefourthtime]

The key for Kerala is their recent experience with the Nipah virus - also respiratory and much more severe. Similarly, much of Asia had only recently experienced SARS and MERS. They were caught on the hop, but this time they were much more ready.

Germany and many other European countries were more prepared, better resourced, less focussed on the initial costs of lockdown and also had some luck (e.g. in Germany a much higher percentage of the early infected were young Vs in many countries where it hit the old earlier and got into care homes and hospitals faster).

[user3412891298]

My family lives in Kerala, and I have observed how Kerala's response has been to Covid, compared to the UK. I think finding reasons to undermine Kerala's achievements is a bit silly - they clearly have done a great job.

• They knew in January that this was going to be a major risk (mainly due to the experience of the Nipah outbreak last year, which was far more deadly at a 90% chance of death on infection).
  
• The first students came to Kerala from Wuhan at the end of January. They were isolated right away (meanwhile, students from Wuhan were coming into the UK with no checks).
  
• They have less testing numbers because there is no wide-spread community spread - the disease is widely believed to be controlled.
  

There was a new case last week from someone who travelled from another part of India - but there are checkpoints on all borders to prevent this from happening. (when the country opens up, this is going to be a problem, however)

• In my personal experience, the healthcare system (even for the poorer population) is very very good. There is a good supply of doctors and nurses through the education system (which is also very good with a 100% literacy).
  
• They have successfully treated people with Covid, including a British tourist who lives in Norwich! This was way back in March.
  

www.edp24.co.uk/news/norwich-man-brian-lockwood-survives-coronavirus-becomes-india-celebrity-1-6635101

Overall, they seem to be doing a great job at it, and I think they deserve all the credit they are getting.

[Kamma89]

The average age in India is about 26, Africa 19, UK 40! This can't be ignored.

I'm not giving the UK & this awful, incompetent government a free pass but age is, so far as we know, the biggest deciding factor still for this disease.

[Kamma89]

Median age

[Hercwasonaroll]

Gosh Kamma that does put rather a different spin on things. Median as well so not affected by extremes of age either way.

[okiedokieme]

Reported cases. If they don't test people how do they know. Also we are recording everyone who dies and tests positive for coronavirus as a case when in some circumstances the cause of death was not linked.