India May See 2.87 Lakh COVID-19 Cases Per Day By February 2021, Claims MIT Study

As India inches towards the 10-Lakh cases mark, a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has revealed that India will witness its worst in the winters next year. The researchers at MIT have predicted that India might record 2.87 lakh coronavirus cases per day by February 2021.

The study is based on testing and case data of 84 countries, comprising 60 per cent of the world population.

The researchers have also predicted that the total number of cases worldwide would be between 20 crore and 60 crore by Spring 2021 (March-May) in the absence of the treatment for the virus.

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The study projected that India will be the worst affected country due to coronavirus. An India Today report quoting the MIT study said that India will be followed by the United States (95,000 cases per day), South Africa (21,000 cases per day) and Iran (17,000 cases per day) by the end of February 2021.

The study takes into account three factors -- current testing rates & their response, increase in testing rate by 0.1 per cent from July 1, 2020 and if testing remains at current levels but contact rate to perceived risk is set to 8, meaning one infected person can infect eight people.

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A delay in testing or less testing numbers could prove fatal to a significant chunk of population.

India currently has 7.44 lakh cases and 20,683 deaths so far. More than half of all cases in the country are from just three states ¡ª Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi.