Attributing cause of death to Covid sans other tests is unscientific, says forensic science prof

Nagpur: Sevagram’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences’ (MGIMS) forensic medicine professor Dr Indrajit Khandekar, whose PILs have helped shape five medical policies, has initiated a new debate over attributing the cause of death to a single tested virus — Covid-19 — without investigating other viruses that cause lakhs of deaths per year.
Dr Khandekar said the method is unscientific as studies have already proved that in people who are suspected to die from viral respiratory pathogens, more than one virus and bacteria are often found causing death.
“Does testing only for Covid mean that all other viruses and bacteria that are causing lakhs of death have vanished due to the appearance of this new virus?” he wrote in his blog. As per doctors at government hospitals, rarely has a Covid-19 victim been found not suffering from other ailments too.
“A positive test for coronavirus does not necessarily mean that this virus is always primarily responsible for a patient’s death. As we are not testing for other viruses, all other respiratory infection deaths appear to be labelled under Covid deaths. In addition to this, the WHO has asked the authorities to give cause of death as “clinically Covid” even if lab tests are negative or inconclusive. This is inflating the numbers of Covid deaths and is misleading the public about the actual number of deaths caused by the virus,” he said.
Citing an government-sponsored 2019 study published in the Lancet, Dr Khandekar said, “If the natural death numbers per year are not changing, then there is no need to worry,” he said.
Dr Meena Mishra, professor and Head of Department of Microbiology at AIIMS, Nagpur, said because we don’t have an exact answer to death due to respiratory diseases taking place amid the pandemic, it is important to investigate further. “We have started multiplex filmarray, a state-of-the-art technology which helps detect 22 pathogens in a single cycle. It was observed that many SARI patients were testing negative. So, it was crucial to know the cause.”
Asked about Dr Khandekar’s blog, Dr Mishra said, “It is quite valid. Flu season has started and there are concerns if other respiratory viruses apart from Covid have resurfaced. This latest test aids us in monitoring different types of corona viruses, other respiratory viruses and some atypical bacteria like chlamydia, mycoplasma pneumonias, haemophilus influenza etc,” she said.