During the early phase of the coronavirus pandemic, Italy had a high infection burden and death rate while India appeared much less affected. By 22 May, Italy and India had 3,770 and 86 infections/million population with mortality rates of 14.24% and 3.03%, respectively. There was speculation about hidden advantages to India leading to a false sense of security. These differences are readily explained by the time and frequency of virus importations and the differences of the age profile of Italy and India.
