62% cases but only 13% fatalities among those below 45 years

Young more susceptible, old more severely affected

NEW DELHI: Around six out of every 10 (62%) infections of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in India have been among people below the age of 45 years, but Covid-19 patients above 45 years of age account for nearly nine in 10 (87%) of all deaths, shows government data.

The findings about the agewise distribution of infections and deaths in India appear to be in line with what scientists have observed about the global trends of the disease — it disproportionally infects younger people, while it severely affects those who are older. Officials, however, have not released new data about the break-up of cases based on gender and comorbidities.

The unreleased case data from the Union ministry of health and family welfare, accessed by HT, also shows that more than half (54%) of the people infected in India are between the ages of 18 and 44, while half (50%) the people who succumbed to the disease are above 60 years of age.

The data for age-wise breakup of cases pertains to the time when India had 1.7 million cases (July 31, according to HT’s dashboard), officials from the health department who did not wish to be identified said.

“The India data also corroborates what experts have found globally that the disease is relatively less common among children, and mostly affects the adult population. Older adults, and those with comorbidities, are at a higher risk of developing severe form of the disease, hence, need to be more careful,” said a health ministry official, who asked not to be named.

People between the ages of 26 and 44 years are the single largest group of people who have been infected with Sars-CoV-2 (40%). This is followed by people between 45 years and 60 years (26%).

Meanwhile, with 8% infected, the under-17 age group has the least proportion of infections.