60+: Least Covid-infected group in Gzb, but fatality rate the highest

Ghaziabad: Covid patients aged over 60 have accounted for almost one-third of the total numbers of deaths linked to the virus in Ghaziabad. The case fatality rate (CFR) — deaths per 100 cases — among senior citizens is 3.5%, almost three times the district average of 1.2%.
An analysis of age-wise data for 5,291 patients in the district has revealed that those aged over 60 form 10% of the total Covid cases and 30% of deaths.
The age bracket of 41-60 years has accounted for 53% of the 64 deaths in the district so far. Almost 30% of the total positive cases have also come from this group. However, the CFR here is two deaths for every 100 cases, which is higher than the district average but lower than the above-60 bracket.
What has come as a sign of relief for Ghaziabad is that its recovered rate has been over 80%. Those aged below 20 years have been the fittest — contributing just 621 cases to the Covid tally of 5,291 and no deaths so far.
An overwhelming majority of positive cases has been reported among those aged between 21 and 40 years. This group has accounted for about half of the district’s total cases (2,487) and less than a fifth of Covid-related deaths (12). The CFR for this age group is 0.5 deaths per 100 cases.
If these age groups are categorised in terms of profession, the data shows that those who are in school or colleges have contracted the infection the least — the 0-21 age bracket.
The next in category could be office-goers, which is a broad bracket of those aged between 21 and 60 years. Eight of 10 cases have been reported from this group and also two-thirds of the Covid-related deaths in the district. Doctors say people in this age bracket are most vulnerable to getti-ng infected because they have to venture out of homes for work.
If the total number of Covid patients is divided into two groups — those who are aged between 21 and 40 years and others between 41 and 60 — it shows that the younger of these two have accounted for 50% of the infection while the older one has contributed to half of the deaths. The virus has been the deadliest among those who are over 60.
June has been the deadliest month for Ghaziabad in terms of Covid-related deaths. As many as 51 Covid patients died in June, when the district reported 1,462 positive cases. In comparison, July saw almost double the number of Covid patients (3,137), but the number of deaths stood at just six.
Early detection of patients has been crucial in fighting the spread of the infection. It was in July that Ghaziabad scaled up testing, which helped the health department identify patients early and ensure timely treatment. The CFR in July has been a mere 0.2%.