Excess deaths as high as 4.9m in pandemic

India’s excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic could be as high as 4.9 million, a new study showed, providing further evidence that millions more may have died than the official tally. The report by the Washington-based Center for Global Development, co-authored by India’s former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, included deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic through June this year. Meanwhile, two-thirds of India’s population have antibodies against the virus, the health agency chief said on Tuesday, citing the fourth national serology survey of nearly 29,000 people conducted during June and July.