63% of those dead over 60 yrs, shows govt data

MINISTRY JOINT SECY ALSO SAID THAT OF THE TOTAL CASES IN INDIA, ABOUT 35% ARE LINKED TO THE MARCH MEETING OF THE TABLIGHI JAMAAT CONGREGATION

nNEW DELHI: India’s health ministry on Monday released data on the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases and deaths in the country -- based on an analysis of 4,067 cases and 109 deaths -reaffirming trends seen elsewhere in the world in terms of age (older people are more at risk) and gender (more men die from Covid-19 than women).

According to the ministry, people above 60 years of age account for 63% of the 109 deaths that have occurred due to Covid-19 in India, cautioning that pre-existing conditions such as diabetes make the infection deadlier — a finding that is in line with global trends.

For instance, in New York State, which has been ravaged by the disease, data released late last week for 3,565 deaths showed that 63% of the dead were over the age of 70. Another 19% were between the ages of 60 and 70. And a further 11 between the ages of 50 and 60. That’s a total of around 93% of the deaths being of people over the age of 50. The number of dead in New York state has increased since; it was over 4,100 on Monday.

In India, people between the age of 40 and 60 account for 30% of the deaths, Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary of the health ministry, said.

He added that 73% of the deaths occurred in men and 27% in women, indicating that men face a significantly higher risk from the infection in India. In Italy, according to government data on deaths till March 26, 70% of the deaths were of men. Italy has been the worst hit by Covid-19, with more than 16,000 dead as on Monday.

Men also account for 76% of the total Covid-19 positive cases in India in comparison with the 24% infection rate in women, Agarwal said.

While the virus kills more older people, it infects people of all ages, according to trends seen in other countries. In India, too, 47% of the cases involved people below the age of 40 , and 34%, patients between the ages of 40 and 60 (19% were of those over 60).

Agarwal said 86% of the patients who died had condican tions such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hypertension and heart-related problems. “...we must realise those with comorbid health conditions are at a higher risk of developing a severe form of illness, and need to be extra cautious,” he explained.

Agarwal added that of the total cases in India, about 35% are linked to the March meeting of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in the national capital. According to the home ministry, at least 25,500 Jamaat members, or people who came in contact with them, have been quarantined across India.

The six-storey headquarters of the organisation in Delhi, where the mid-march gatherings of the Islamic missionary group took place, has emerged as India’s biggest hot spot of the fast-spreading infection.

“In Haryana, five villages have been sealed as it was found some foreign nationals of the Jamaat stayed in those villages,” said Punya Salila Srivastava, joint secretary of the home ministry.

She also stressed that the government was trying its best to ensure smooth transportation of essential items such as medical supplies and food grains during the three-week, nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25.

“It has been directed...that medical oxygen is an essential item and its manufacturing and transport is exempted from lockdown measures,” said Srivastava.

The railways has also transported 1,340 wagons of sugar, 950 wagons of salt and 360 wagons/tanks of edible oil so far. In all, 1.69 million metric tonnes of food grains have been transported, she said.