Tracking Missing Deaths: An Exploratory Study on the Mortality Impact of COVID-19 in Kozhikode City, India.

Background: The debate over the extent of the mortality impact of COVID-19 in India is still unsettled.

Objectives: This article contributes to the debate, seeking to explore the true mortality impact of the pandemic, by answering four interrelated questions. First, is there any discrepancy between recorded and actual death count? Second, if so, how large it is? Third, what is the extent of misclassification of COVID-19 mortality, and fourth, what is the magnitude of deaths that could be indirectly linked to COVID-19?

Materials And Methods: To answer the questions, we explored three sources of data-all-cause mortality data from the civil registration system, records maintained at the burial grounds/cemeteries and crematoriums, and a household survey.