Fact Check: Did WHO warn India of 50,000 COVID-19 deaths by Apr 15?

New Delhi, Apr 06: Fake news saying that WHO has warned of 50,000 COVID-19 deaths in India by 15 April has been doing rounds on social media platforms, triggering panic among the people amid fear of second wave.

The fake post claimed that WHO-ICMR has warned India of third wave of the coronavirus and if left unchecked, the total death count by the coronavirus outbreak in India could reach the number of fifty thousand.

However, issuing a clarification World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) said that a video claiming WHO has warned of 50,000 COVID19 deaths in India by 15 April is fake news. WHO has not issued any such warning.

Meanwhile, a mathematical model that the ongoing second-wave of COVID-19 pandemic across the country by scientists says coronavirus could peak by mid-April, following which the infections may see a steep decline by the end of May.

The mathematical approach, named SUTRA, predicted that the initial surge of infections in August would peak by September and lower in February 2021.

India's covid tally remained above 90,000 for the third consecutive day taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally of cases to 1,26,86,049.

A total of 96,982 cases have been reported in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll increased to 1,65,547 with 446 daily new fatalities.