India is 2nd in the world's grim Covid-19 ranking, but FIRST by recovery rate, says govt

The Indian Health Ministry made the remarkable announcement on Monday, just as the country's overall coronavirus case tally increased beyond 5.4 million. "India occupies the top position in the world in terms of total recoveries. More than 43 lakh [4.3 million] have recovered," the statement revealed.

The ministry claimed that its recovery rate is the highest in the world, as the US has reported 4.2 million recoveries. Brazil – the third worst-affected country in the global ranking – registered 3.8 million recoveries, and Russia has counted 909,000.

Overall, the number of Indians who survived the deadly contagion amounts to "19 percent of the total global recoveries." India's Covid-19 death toll is currently approaching 88,000.

The promising news emerges as India has witnessed an alarming increase of around 100,000 cases per day. Earlier this month, it surpassed Brazil in the worldwide list of Covid-19 hotspots, with observers worrying that the South Asian nation could surpass the US at its present rate.  

Previously, Indian health officials had signaled that the scale of the epidemic could be bigger than the official figures show. Last week, a survey by New Delhi authorities revealed the presence of coronavirus antibodies in 33 percent of residents in the capital area, meaning that some 6.5 million people may have been silently exposed to the virus.

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