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We agree that the Indian Government has, knowingly or unknowingly, faltered in its role to control the COVID-19 pandemic.1 However, these criticisms should at least be partly qualified by an acknowledgment of the sheer complexity of the required operation in India. For example, COVID-19 data reporting in India has been scrutinised extensively because of its disagreement with crematorium data and paradoxically low rates of case fatality when compared with other countries.2 Unreported asymptomatic cases, the questionable handling of suspected cases, distinguishing the primary cause of death in patients with comorbidities, and overburdened testing and hospital facilities all undermine data accuracy,2 but are not unique to India. Countries rich in public health resources with smaller populations have also faced similarobstacles.

tionable handling of suspected cases, distinguishing the primary cause of death in patients with comorbidities, and overburdened testing and hospital facilities all undermine data accuracy,2 but are not unique to India. Countries rich in public health resources with smaller populations have also faced similarobstacles. On a fundamental level, a society's health literacy plays an important role in adopting preventive guidelines.3 Although academics and medical professionals might consider mass gatherings such as KumbhMela to be blasphemous at this time, many consider this festival to be of non-negotiable religious importance.4 The difficulty of changing a society's perception that the pandemic is as, or more, important than religion or individual rights is understated. Politicians thus might also be reflections of this poor health literacy or perception of life, rather than only the cause. Furthermore, the situation in India is not unlike that seen in the USA, where social unrest had complicated US Government interventions, and groups of individuals had refused to wear masks despite guidelines.5 Perhaps it would also be appropriate to proactively assist neighbouring countries whose governments have also allowed gatherings and who are probably seeing an uptick in the number of cases.