Vilified by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party for its high Covid-19 cases, Kerala's apparent poor record may actually hold crucial lessons for the country in containing the outbreak as authorities brace for a possible third wave of infections.

The opposition-ruled, densely populated southern state is currently reporting the most number of coronavirus cases in the country and accounts for the second highest national tally. However, a Reuters analysis of national and state data, and interviews with epidemiologists and Kerala health authorities paint a different picture.

It shows the state's containment measures have helped to catch infections early, allowing authorities to better manage the illness and dramatically lower the death rate — a stark contrast to people dying in car parks and outside hospitals for lack of oxygen and beds in big cities like Delhi at the height of the health crisis a few months earlier.

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