The maximum number of COVID-19 infections in the state took place in the 20-50 age group. A total of 58 per cent of infected people have been in this age group since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.
As per the available data, until December 12, there were 66.7 lakh cases in Maharashtra, of which 38.64 lakh were in the 20-50 age group.
Experts have attributed this to the agility of this age group – constantly stepping out to take care of official or household work and, therefore, being more exposed to the virus.
This is also the age group being encouraged by the health department to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, within this age group, 14.81 lakh cases were reported in the 31-40 age group, followed by 11.93 lakh cases in the 21-30 age group and 11.9 lakh cases in the 41-50 years.
Consultant pulmonologist at PD Hinduja Hospital and MRC, Dr Lancelot Pinto said the proportion of those infected will be skewed towards the more productive, younger population, as they are the ones likely to be engaged in buying groceries, moving outside the house for essential commodities, be migrants, or engaged in essential services. “If the mortality in this group were high, that would be a cause for serious concern.
The number of infections being high seemed intuitively expected,” he said. A senior health official said a large number of children and youth have been infected after coming into contact with infected family members and friends.
“As per initial findings, children and young adults mainly get infected due to ignorance about the contagious nature of the disease and through unintentional contact with those infected,” he said. Not finding the trend surprising, an infectious diseases expert said, “Young people are also at a higher risk as they nowadays suffer from hypertension, diabetes and other comorbidities.”
With Maharashtra reporting 18 cases of the new Omicron variant, he said getting vaccinated is now of paramount importance.
