75% of dead aged over 60: Govt

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 18

In repeat of global Covid-19 mortality trends, India is witnessing disproportionate disease-related deaths in the elderly population warranting extra caution in dealing with the older persons.

Three in every four fatalities (75.3 per cent) recorded in India so far involve people above 60 years of age. The highest mortality rate of 42.20 per cent is among 75 plus persons followed by 33.10 per cent in 60 to 75 year olds, 14.40 per cent in people up to 45 years and 10.30 per cent in the age group 45 to 60 years. 

Recoveries also continue to improve with 2,014 of all confirmed cases cured so far, signalling a national cure rate of 13.85 per cent.

Health Ministry data analysis of mortality numbers further cements another global trend: a phenomenal death rate among people with pre-existing diseases such as cardiac and renal conditions, diabetes and hypertension.

“Almost 83 per cent of all deaths have occurred in persons with co-morbid condition,” government data suggests.

In two other trends that signal the importance of efficient enforcement of lockdown, the government has found that while on the one hand defiance of social distancing norms led to the creation of country’s biggest disease cluster in Delhi’s Nizamuddin, which now accounts for 29.80 per cent of total cases in India, proper adherence to lockdown helped 45 previously affected districts remain free of new cases for 14 days.

The analysis shows that two districts — Mahe in Puducherry and Kodagu in Karnataka — have seen no new case in 28 days, putting these firmly in the green zone.

Likewise, 22 new districts in 12 states today made it to the list of areas that haven’t reported a new case in 14 days. These include Hoshiarpur in Punjab; Rohtak and Charkhi Dadri in Haryana; Pulwama in J&K; Udaipur and Dholpur in Rajasthan and five districts in Assam. Prior to this, 23 districts had reported zero new cases for 14 days. This takes the total number of improving districts to 45.

Three districts previously in the segment have fallen behind and reported new cases. These are Panipat in Haryana; Patna in Bihar and Nadia in Bengal.

“Our field action is yielding positive results. On the other hand, the contribution of Nizamuddin cluster to overall disease burden remains disproportionate. This we are reiterating because we want to stress that even if one person violates lockdown conditions, the whole country will suffer the consequences,” Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal said today.

A-I opens bookings on select routes

New Delhi: Air India on Saturday announced it has opened bookings on select domestic and international routes from May 4 and June 1, respectively. The national carrier said, “In the light of the ongoing global health concerns, we have currently stopped accepting bookings for all domestic flights till May 3 and international flights till May 31.” TNS