Number Game: Deaths and Recoveries

Currently, everyone is wishing for Corona Virus crisis to come under control and get back to normal life. But for now, to bring a better picture of numbers on paper, two recent modifications of declaring official COVID-19 deaths and discharging cured positive patients has received praise from some quarters but also spawned backlash and suggestions of ulterior motives.

Deaths:

Previously in Gujarat, any death of COVID-19 positive patient was added officially to the total number in an instant. But on 4th May, Gujarat Medical Education & Research Society, Gandhinagar, published a notification that the death during Epidemic Act will be examined based on various factors like the previous medical history of the patient. So from now onwards, hospitals will not report the death of COVID-19 positive patients who may have died due to pre-existing, underlying diseases.
VMC has made an audit panel consisting of Community Medicine Experts, Clinical Experts, and Critical Care Experts. The report is sent to the Gujarat government and after its review, the death will be declared as a COVID-19 death if it meets all parameters. This whole procedure takes 7-8 days to reach to the conclusion.

Since 5th May, the official bulletin published by VMC reports 0 deaths and the total remains to 31 deaths. Three people have died after testing positive for COVID-19 under similar circumstances but they are not accounted for. VMC official states that deaths will be officially declared after the reports arrive.

This same model of reporting deaths was used in West Bengal, where a COVID-19 death audit committee comprising of doctors, was set up on 3rd April by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the health portfolio. As of 30th April, the committee assessed deaths of 105 patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 and attributed 33 deaths to the coronavirus infection and another 72 deaths to ‘severe co-morbid conditions’. But the committee had triggered a controversy, with the state’s opposition parties alleging that the committee had been formed to suppress the number of deaths.

Recoveries :
Previously, to discharge a positive COVID-19 patient,  two tests of asymptomatic patients were done and if the results of both tests come out to be negative, the patient was discharged. However, now as per the new guidelines by the Ministry of Health,  patients with mild/very mild/pre-symptomatic cases can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and having no fever for 3 days. There will be no need for testing prior to the discharge. Only severe coronavirus patients are to be tested before discharge from the hospital.

The difference in State Government and VMC figures:

Currently, Gujarat Government COVID-19 dashboard is showing a total of 493 positive cases in Vadodara, while VMC reports 528 positive cases. Is it lack of co-ordination or done intentionally to suppress real figures?