Bengaluru: In Karnataka, people in their 30s have been most affected by Covid-19 – regardless of whether infection is raging or receding.
The age group contributed the most infection for both stages – the peak of the second wave and two months later – from a pandemic.
Of the 17 lakh infections which were recorded during the second wave of pandemic since the end of March to early June, four lakh or 23.8% were in the age group of 30-39 years.
Between June 8 and August 8 when infection subsided, the state registered two lakh cases which were more than 43,000 or 21% of patients came from the same age group.
The second most affected during the second wave of pandemic and then is the age group 20-29: it accounts for 3.8 lakh or 21.8% infection between March 29 and June 7, and more than 21,000 or 20.4% from June 8 to 8 August .
TOI analyzed data from state covid war rooms both during the second wave and two months followed to analyze how various age groups were affected.
Karnataka saw 2,792 fresh infections on March 29 from which the daily case continued to increase and passed 10,000 on April 14.
The data of state war space between March 29 and April 7 has been reduced for now.
After April 14, the number of cases of everyday fell below 10,000 only on June 8, marking another turnover in the development of pandemic.
Daily infections have receded since, touching 1,598 on August 8.
Health department officials show that they are young people, especially those aged between 20 and 40 years, which are most vulnerable to infections because they move and have to step out to work.
This describes them to the virus.
“They must follow inappropriate behavior.
How big the police department and health are enforced if people do not behave responsibly?” Said Dr.
Om Prakash Patil, a former director, the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
Dr.
Patil pioneered the management of pandemics in Karnataka during the last two waves and retired from the service recently.
Dr.
Patil said that unlike the first wave where most cases were among senior citizens, it was a younger population that contracted the most infection during the second wave.
However, despite the most infection accounting, the death rate of their 20s and 30s was relatively low – 0.1% to 0.3% – both during the second wave and two months followed.
50 years and above the age group recorded a 2% death rate and 20% surprisingly in the appropriate period.
Must be accounced for experts say it must hit the third wave, those aged 20-40 years will return to facing Brunt.
“That is a population that needs to be vaccinated completely on priority,” said members of the Covid-19 Negara Task Force.
“Until now, free vaccination for this age group is only limited to the priority group.
It needs to be available for all so that most people in this age group are covered with at least one vaccine dose before other waves hit.” As on Monday (August 9), from 3.2 Crore people in the state in the age group 18-44 years, more than 35% or 1.1 crore, have been vaccinated with at least one dose.