Delhi, Maharashtra to reach Covid 19 peak soon, while Punjab, Haryana over it: Director, IIPH

BENGALURU: The states of Kerala, Punjab and Haryana have crossed the peak in coronavirus cases, according to prominent health expert, GVS Murthy, Director, Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad. In an interview, Murthy said that the pandemic is reaching its peak in Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, while it has crossed its peak in Punjab, Haryana and Kerala.

Further, Murthy said that India, due to its huge population, should not be seen as a single entity when dealing with the pandemic and due its diversity, health systems vary across the nation. Hence, he said that it is more appropriate to look at state-wise and district-wise peaks for the virus and the peak for country cannot be estimated.

He also estimated that total deaths in India due to Covid-19 will be under 8,000 as the country has strongly enforced standard protocols and hospitals have operated on high alert. He has estimated that due to the stringent lockdown enforced in the population dense nation, around 80,000 to 1,00,000 deaths have been avoided.