TB, cholera deaths may cancel out lives saved during lockdown: Health expert

BENGALURU: Neglect of diseases like TB and cholera during the lockdown may cancel out lives potentially saved by the COVID-19-induced enforcement measure, says a public health expert.

Professor, Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, Public Health Foundation of India, V Ramana Dhara said one has to consider the invisible loss of life from the increase in poverty-related diseases like TB, malnutrition and cholera, which can be neglected while the "lockdowns are ongoing".

The deaths resulting from these diseases may well cancel out the lives potentially saved by the lockdowns. One should view this epidemic as Mother Nature's reaction to the rampant ecological damage caused by humans resulting in animal habitat loss and resultant contact between humans and animals , he told PTI in an interview on Sunday.

On his assessment of the COVID-19 situation in India, he noted that clearly the number of cases as on Saturday of 125,000 has exceeded the predicted 100,000 by May-end and is continuing to rapidly rise .

While the case fatality rate is holding steady, overall mortality is more important, but there may be an under-count if some deaths may not be tested for COVID-19.