Vilified by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party for its high Covid-19 cases, Kerala's apparent poor record may actually hold crucial lessons for the country in containing the outbreak as authorities brace for a possible third wave of infections.

The opposition-ruled, densely populated southern state is currently reporting the most number of coronavirus cases in the country and accounts for the second-highest national tally - unflattering headline numbers that Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has seized upon as a reflection of bungled local leadership.

However, a Reuters analysis of national and state data, and interviews with epidemiologists and Kerala health authorities paint a different picture...