APPENDIX C

DESCRIPTIVE ANSWERS

TASK 3: POSITIVITY RATIO

Q1: You will observe that the two death-rates are markedly different at the beginning in the
figure of part (a), but they stay more or less the same in that of part (bi). Why do you think this
is so?

Ans:
In part (a) it was the early parts of the year and the death rate 2 the denominator’s is the
addition of Cumulative Deaths and Recoveries so that’s why it was high because in the beginning
the deaths and recoveries were not properly recorded or reported and people don’t just die
instantly or recover and also no active cases were considered which was the larger value hence
the denominator for DR2 was low and the overall value was high compared to DR1 as it
considered active cases which was a huge number. And in part (bi) it was later in the year so
deaths and recoveries caught up with active cases hence the gap closed between DR1 AND 2 as
it was later in the year

Q2: You will observe that DR1 in the beginning underestimates the final death rate (to which
both DR1 and DR2 ultimately converge), while DR2 in the beginning overestimates it. Why do you
think this is so?

Ans:
Because DR1 accounts in the active cases only but not all active cases die and also some
recover so hence it underestimates whilst DR2 doesn’t consider active cases and hence
overestimates death rate.