BENGALURU: During the second wave, Covid-19 cases in Karnataka’s younger population (under 50 years) jumped by more than 100% compared to 59% in the 50-plus age group.
Consequently, the share of deaths of patients under 50 increased, accounting for 24% of the overall fatalities recorded in the state from April 1 to June 16.
Before this year’s surge, the share was about 18%.
But not all numbers are grim.
A detailed analysis by STOI showed that the case fatality rate (CFR) in multiple age groups was lower during the second wave than earlier.
In the said April-June period, Karnataka reported 20,837 Covid deaths across age groups as against 12,459 seen between March 2020 to March 2021.
A total of 4,996 patients aged below 50 died in the second wave compared to 2,249 earlier.
Fatalities in this age group are expected to increase with every wave, given that the majority of Karnataka’s, and India’s, population falls under this category.
Experts say strategies must be drawn up keeping this fact in mind.
“The increase in deaths in this category must be viewed in the context of the massive surge in cases.
Many people had not been exposed to the virus earlier and had not been vaccinated when the second wave erupted.
Also, most deaths would be in the 40-plus age category, where there could be some latent and some diagnosed comorbidities,” said Dr S Sachidananda, the head of the Karnataka Covid clinical committee.
In the 0-9 years group, only one out of every 1,700 positive cases died during the second wave compared to one out of 988 earlier – the CFR was 50 percentage points lower.
In the 10-19 group, one out of 3,765 died compared to one of over 1,400 earlier (71 percentage points lower).
The trend was similar for patients aged between 20 and 29: one fatality per 947 cases as against one per 907 cases before.
But it was the opposite for patients in the 30-50 years category.
The 50-69 years category also saw a higher death rate, while the 70-89 group saw a marginal decline in the rate.
The rate remained constant among patients aged above 90.
“As we prepare for the next wave, the focus is clearly on the younger population, especially those under the age of 20.
The government has already set up a committee and strategies are being prepared to tackle the pandemic,” Dr Sachidananda said.