India becomes 3rd country to record 100,000 coronavirus deaths

India on Saturday became the third country after the United States and Brazil to record more than 100,000 coronavirus-related deaths, data from the country's health ministry and Johns Hopkins University show.

The world's second most populous nation has confirmed more than 6.4 million COVID-19 cases and is on pace to surpass the United States as the country with the most infections in the next few weeks, Al Jazeera reports. India does, however, have the highest number of recovered patients in the world.

Experts say India's actual case and fatality numbers are likely higher. Though it is difficult to know exactly how many cases and deaths have been missed, antibody studies throughout India appear to back the theory that the official figures are an underestimate of the virus' true toll.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Numbers have fallen since a mid-September peak, but they remain high. Still, officials are easing restrictions in an attempt to lessen the economic blow that has hit the country during the pandemic. Read more at Al Jazeera and The New York Times.