Srinagar: The increase in fatalities among COVID infected people below 50 in April and May this year is worrying the medical fraternity across the country, Times of India.
Doctors and hospitals are recording a growing proportion of younger people among COVID deaths as compared to last year and a lowering of the average age of patients admitted to the ICUs.
The trend is not only limited to the high COVID-burdened states. “We’re seeing a higher number of young adults in this wave — 60%- 70% are younger than 60, of whom more than half are below 45.
For those in ICU, deterioration is often rapid with many requiring ventilator support and aggressive treatment. Mortality in this situation in ICUs is close to 20%,” the report quoted Dr Reshma Tewari, director (critical care) at Gurgaon’s Artemis hospital as saying.
Data released recently by Tamil Nadu’s directorate of public health showed that more young and healthy people, without comorbid conditions and below 40, are now dying.
Experts feel three major factors are at play. The first is happy hypoxia. The young feel uneasy after oxygen saturation is seriously low — the delay in hospitalization complicates treatment and narrows chances of survival. In Paras Hospital in Patna, for instance, all 47 patients with hypoxia currently are in the 30-35 age group.
Second, those below 45 are the most mobile and are not vaccinated.
Quoting Dr Jayant Panda, Odisha’s technical adviser on COVID, the report said: “Deaths among young adults is because of their high mobility and low immunity as they are not vaccinated yet.”
Third, the new variant is swift and deadly. Most fatalities among young are among those infected by this variant, the report quoted Dr Sushila Kataria, intensivist at Gurgaon’s Medanta hospital as saying.
