How does India, a country of 1.3 billion people, have around 1,000 coronavirus deaths?

Less than a month ago, India's future looked dire. Experts predicted that the country could expect millions of coronavirus cases. Doctors warned that India needed to prepare for an onslaught of cases that could cripple the country's ill-equipped health system. Onlookers worried that the virus could spread like wildfire through India's slums, where residents live in cramped quarters and basic sanitation often isn't available.

But so far, the world's second-most populous country appears to have avoided the worst. As of Tuesday, India had reported 31,360 coronavirus cases and 1,008 deaths, or about 0.76 deaths per million. Compare that to the United States, where the number of deaths per million is more than 175.
Some experts say that India's relatively positive numbers suggest the country's nationwide lockdown to halt the spread of Covid-19 could be working -- for now.

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