‘Those in 31 to 40 age group are most vulnerable to virus’
AMONG THE PATIENTS, TRAVELLERS FROM THE UAE MAKE UP FOR THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES
MUMBAI: An analysis of coronavirus patients in Maharashtra has revealed that people between the age group of 31 to 40 years were the most vulnerable to contract the disease.
Out of 122 people diagnosed with Covid-19 in the state till March 25, 33 were aged between 31 to 40 years, 24 (between 21 to 30 years), 24 (between 41 to 50 years), 15 (between 51 to 60 years), 13 ( between 61 to 70 years), 8 (between 11 to 20 years), 3 ( between 71 to 80 years) and 2 ( between 1 to 10 years).
The analysis of the data of diagnosed patients was done by the Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD) of the state government recently.
According to city infection specialists, as younger people have a varied travel history, the number of cases among the age group of 31 to 40 years is high.
“So far, the state government has been screening people only with travel history or those who were in close contact with infected patients. So the infected people in the state are mostly in the younger age group,” said Dr Vikrant Shah, infection specialist from Zen Hospital.
The data also shows that 66 people who contracted the virus had travel history, 35 got it through close contact, in the case of 14 people the cause of transmission is awaited and for the remaining 7, the reason for the infection is inconclusive.
Medical experts said it is premature to chalk down the demography of patients in the state as the epidemic could still be in the early stage.
“It is too early to assess the demography of patients from the state. It has just been two weeks since the infection started in the state. The reporting of patients is very less right now,” said Dr Om Srivastava, an epidemiologist.
Travellers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have reported the highest number of infection cases followed by the US and Saudi. “Government should restricted air travel much earlier. Passengers from the UAE weren’t screened till March 17,” said Dr Anant Bhan, a researcher in global health and policy.